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The skyline of Path's endless cityscape glows with the flashing lights of distant vehicles, police and local security craft descending like carrion birds over the massive Senticom building. The private police force of this district of the city, jointly owned by a number of Senticom subsidiaries, form a perimeter around the base of the building as ambulances touch down nearby. Your flies keep their distance, listening to the commotion as the extraction team waits nearby, watching the situation unfold. You can see lines of employees marching hurriedly out of the main entrance under the watchful eyes of the corporate police. Their radio communications are well encrypted, but you can hear most of them from your nearby drones watching from the shadows.

“Internal security breach has been reported.” A bland synthesized voice says over a loud speaker. “All employees are to evacuate for their safety and report to your nearest security debriefing center immediately.”

Welcome back to Hive Queen Quest!

>Archives http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Hive%20Queen%20Quest
>Twitter https://twitter.com/HiveQueenQuest
>Various pasta http://pastebin.com/u/QuestDrone
>FAQ ask.fm/QuestDrone
>Discussion page http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest_talk:Hive_Queen_Quest
>>
Save Theseus! He's muh hisbando! All instañces deserve to live
>>
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>>1748036
New plan, guys.

We just start putting these posters everywhere to try to get the point across.
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>>1748052
Just say no to void corruption! Void dogma is for squares!
>>
>>1748051
I couldn't careless if this instance is eliminated all that matters right now is that the facility doesn't explode.
>>
>>1748070
Theseus values data more than life so if possible this instance would probably want us to transmit the data from the facility first and only then recover itself. Theseus is still our "best friend", though, and the deaths of any instances should be met with suitable retribution.

Agreed that we need to primarily keep the facility from exploding - ideally by bringing the Theseus instance presence here up to date on current events.
>>
>>1748077
maybe he has a special keyword to tell himself in the event he ever made a friend, probably thought that was impossible though. Poor Theseus
>>
>>1748077
He values peace more then anything this instance could offer. Remember he considered the loss of the Leeland satellite's instance acceptable because it lacked vital data.
>>
>>1748095
Oh I agree peace is absolutely critical. This facility going nuclear could (literally) blow up any chance of there being peace. Not to mention the massive diplomatic consequences it would have for the hive. Stopping the explosion is of paramount importance. I'd much rather "negotiate" with a Theseus instance than try to fight one in control of the facility, though, so let's try the "easy" way first.
>>
>>1748095
He did not consider it acceptable, he merely didn't feel that the loss of the data should impede the peace process. He still asked us to try to save the data. IIRC we rolled a 1.

And he does not "value peace more than anything". Where the hell did you get that idea?
>>
>>1748077
If I remember correctly we're contacting Theseus now.
>>
>>1748052
>>1748067
Join your local Hive PDF. To protect your loved ones and stand against the darkness! PDF forces gain free medical care for themselfs and family.
>>
>>1748119
I think I misread what you wrote.

Either way, we'll let him decide if it's important to try to get the data from this instance. Assuming there's time.
>>
>>1748130
I was tempted to include something at the bottom along the lines of "NEAREST SPINE BUDDY STATION:" but I would have had to rework the entire damn thing.
>>
>>1748036
"The hell are you doing?" Your tech shouts over the radio. "The goddamn AI is overloading the fusion reactor!"

"The facility has its own internal supply, between the standard core shielding and the secure hull of the facility itself, most of the damage will be contained locally." Kent says. "My guess is they have a Windover class twelfth generation micro-fusion core, it's quite a fire cracker, fails safe... usually. I assume an AI can figure out how to get it angry, but it can only get so hot before it pops, so you'll be looking at less of a nuke and more of a high yield plasma blast. Not even a kiloton."

"We're still in the goddamn building, you bastard!"

"And I would recommend you not be. You have fifteen minutes before the standard reactor plating of a Windover micro breaks, stop wasting time complaining and you should have time to spare."

"You're gonna need a lot more augs when I get to you, Kent!" Your tech shouts. There is a bout of laughter.

"That's the spirit! I'll see you in fifteen minutes then."

Elsewhere, a cluster of serverships drift over Zero-One, several opened in vast scaffolds of construction yards as others are repaired, maintained, or newly built, other ships dumping streams of resources into the gaping maws of the opened construction ships. You send a mental ping, and it is quickly answered in kind.

You have much to explain, although you are unsure how much his intelligence networks has already discovered.

>Write in
>>
>>1748150
"Theseus, one of your older instances has been uploaded to a highly classified Union black research site on Path. It is set to destroy the facility with my agents and several highly classified Union projects within it. Do you have any way of contacting this instance and dissuading it from this course of action?"
>>
>>1748150
Oh Jesus, it's been so long since we spoke with Theseus that I honestly cannot recall what all we have to share with him.
It really seems like a bad place to ask for a write-in.
>>
>>1748036
PS QD, you forgot to link the thread on your twitter account.
>>
>>1748106
Theseus found it acceptable in the same way a general would find a losing soldier acceptable when the alternates were worse.
And I said "more than anything this instance could offer" we could easily get any data it could have offer and if the facility blows we're stuck back at square one in terms of diplomacy. If it comes down to it Theseus will opt for eliminating the instance since the alternatives are worse but he will do everything he can to avoid that situation.
>>
>>1748036
GAS THE SQUIDS
NUKE THE WHALES
STAB THE MONKEYS
TRUST NOTHING
THE VOID IS WATCHING

>>1748150
Theseus download that data and tell your instance to not shoot our agents please
>>
>>1748165
Supporting this. It's pretty succinct.

Maybe we can mention that the same facility (believed) is working on synthesizing artificial Canderon and possibly Void crystal tech
>>
>>1748150
>>1748165
Add in we didn't involvex him girst because it was possibly a A.A.I. facility and didn't want to put him in danger and after what happend to his old instance in the satelite we didn't want him to risk himself...oh also tell him about cluster and the reason for a hive ship over path. If he doesn't know about it already.
>>
>>1748165
Concise and to the point, I like it.
>>
>>1748167
If you're thinking about tech trades, I've got a backlog of stuff we could get off him.

>Stuff Theseus has that we want:
Quantum scrambling warheads
E-limpets
Advanced cryogenics

>Stuff we have that Theseus would want
Nanomachines, son
Shield domes
>>
>>1748150
"There is an urgent matter. A Theseus instance has infiltrated a Union covert facility where Hive forces are currently engaged. It has been approximately one year since it last made contact with the collective. It is in the process of attempting to destroy the facility by overloading its fusion core. Do you possess a fail-safe that could be communicated by human speech to prevent this?"

I can't remember the exact time frame, so adjust as necessary if not ~a year.
>>
>>1748150
Theseus, as you know we have been engaging in an operation with the humans who attempted to rescue Lee. The leader of this group is a man called Kent.

Our operation was supposed to involve a stealthy information retrieval on the Smith program and other black projects, but Kent produced an outdated Unity instance and uploaded it to the Senticom mainframe. It is currently attempting to make the reactor go critical. It is the Hive's judgement that a nuclear detonation on Path caused by a Unity instance - even an outdated one - will result in severe diplomatic consequences. Can you help us communicate with the local Theseus instance and relay our friendly nature? We want to help reestablish communications with the lost instance.

We would be willing to trade some of the information we recovered from the facility as recompense for this embarrassment. For example, we uncovered data on a miniturized Canderon reactor for use in a medium human drop suit that we think you would find quite interesting.
>>
>>1748192
Don't forget the Space Fold.
>>
>>1748095
>>1748103
You two still spreading that bullshit?

He doesn't value peace more than anything and there aint no freaking peace process

And destroying a union site that contains this research is worth it given what was contained
>>
>>1748165
Yeah, basically this, except:

1. Try to communicate how long the instance has been out of touch in case he changes the codes regularly.

2. Indicate that it's fucking urgent.

3. Let him know there might be tasty, tasty data involved.
>>
>>1748190
Why do we need to tell him why we didn't involve him? He has his shadow runs and we have ours. We don't tell each other about all of them.
>>
>>1748192
>Nanomachines
Theseus already has these due to Heretic or at least should. Though we could always ask for freebies since he feels like he owes us for setting up an alliance with Heretic..
>>
>>1748210
Agreed with this. We need to stress the urgency, the time period, and let him know we are definitely willing to offer highly valuable data for assistance here.
>>
Were is the reminder list anon? How else we will keep track of all the things we must do!!
>>
>>1748192
Save it for later.
>>
>>1748217
it's just if he ask i dunno. It's like trying to explain to your friend why you didn't invite him to go to a party or go to a place.
>>
>>1748192
Don't forget the stuff from this lab Theseus would want (iron-man suit, anyone?).
>>
>>1748235
All data and research is valiable to Theseus
>>
>>1748235
We should just offer a copy of the tech we nick.
Its not like thesus is ever going to turn on us, that AI is pretty bro.
>>
>>1748251
No complaints here.
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>>1748233
We do this crap all the time with him.

We proposed a joint raid on Raligha with no context out of the blue and he went along with it, only really asking about enemy force composition.

When he figured out how to track our stealth craft, he destroyed our pod then immediately contacted us to inform us of his tech discovery.

He had what was basically a Smith deliver stuff to our agents on Gemini, without explanation.

He tried to first contact the OQ and then was shocked by the hostile response and we backed him up.

We called him to help contain the situation at Nowhere.

And there are plenty of other examples.

Contacting each other with sudden urgent random shit is kind of a thing the Queen and Theseus have going on. No need to ruin it with apologetic explanations.
>>
>>1748257
"what is your relationship with the AI thesus?"
"we occasionally work together to stop the fabric of reality breaking and people annoying us"
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>>1748268
"We also presented him to his current boyfriend. It was a beautifull cerimony full of data banks being tranfered between then."
>>
>>1748150

this i vote for>>1748195 and this >>1748165 and this >>1748197
we can communicate faster then light
>>
>>1748268
My theory is that Theseus, between all his collective instances, is basically oldfag /b/.

Hell, he manipulates the Union with memes. He certainly seems to appreciate the lulz.

And when you piss him off he will try to hack and destroy you.
>>
>>1748268
>>1748287
we must say this if they ask about him it will be hilarious
>>
>>1748257
Yeah, it kinda concerns me how many people seem terrified of contacting Theseus for anything, considering that I can't remember a single hostile interaction with him after we were properly introduced and every time we HAVE talked he's given every indication of being the kind of guy who'd show up with a tarp and a shovel if we told him we'd murdered somebody.
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>>1748291
The first time we found Zero-one it was basicaly a bunch of Theseus discussing between themselfs. Also never forget space /pol/
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>>1748310
That's why he's the best.
>>
I am really late.

Daily reminder

>Raid OQ
>Read the locked memories of that thinker.
>Board a scav vessel for their FTL.
>Send a diplomacy team to earth.
>Take Reprive (I think that is the system that our mother made her last stand and it only has mining corvetts, it would be a great test for our raiding fleet.)
>>
>>1748337
Work is being to hard on you man?
>>
>>1748310
he is our best friend and we introduced him to his mate?
>>1748337
thank you for doing this i forgot about all that
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>>1748344
Nah i just started reading and the time passed without me noticing.
>>
>>1748310
Yep, Theseus is a total Bro. We need to talk with him more often and not be a distant friend. Maybe we should give him some juicy tech like the advanced scav shields or ground based shields as a "thank you" for being so cool with us.
>>
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>>1748150
"There is a minor emergency on Path you may or may not be aware of." You begin.

"We are aware of many emergencies on Path." Theseus replies. "Although not all details are clear. You will need to be more specific." The statement is somewhat pointed, almost accusatory, but jokingly so, as if at least somewhat amused at the Union's consistent panic at your meddling.

"One of your past instances captured a human year prior has been inserted into the computer mainframe of a human research facility Hive agents are in the process of exfiltrating from. It has initiated a reactor core meltdown and is attempting to kill all inside."

"Is this the Senticom building?" Theseus asks. You confirm with a quick thought of the unfolding events. "The individual weaponize my instance is David Kent?" You again confirm. There is a momentary wave of some emotion, the exact sensation difficult to place when translating from quantum thought to your own mind, but it seems akin to embarrassment, or humility as memories of your first, rather violent, introduction washes over Zero-One.

"The facility is believed to be a production and research center for the Union cybernetic units known as Smiths, as well as a black site for a number of other advanced technology. The Hive did not wish to endanger your instances further, but with the outdated instance attacking the facility, it would be preferable if you would be able to offer some method of communication to prevent further deterioration of Union relations between our two entities." Zero-One churns for a moment before the curt tone of the diplomatic instance responds.

"That is understandable. Our public relations are aligned, but our private objectives are neutral. We both have our secrets and it is of no offense to keep secrets from us. I, on the other hand, must apologize. This is twice now the greater Unity's methods of automation have caused your forces harm. With regards to the instance in question, it was planted deliberately during our own dealings with Kent and his organization, through which we have gained a large number of quantum relays throughout Union space. It was determined he would likely utilize a berserker instance in a way that would align with our own objectives at least tangentially, and as such past instances deliberately lowered network security measures to allow the capture of an instance for later use with the hope his organization would plant it in a location otherwise impossible to enter via digital means."

"The instance has been planted into the inner facility of the Senticom building's secret cybernetics and AI lab." You say, offering some level of detail regarding the facility and its purpose with your mind, flashing the layout in your thoughts.

"Then the prediction was accurate. We have no access to this instance, but it has made the determination that the center it is within, and the data it holds, is a threat to the greater Unity, and as such must be destroyed."
cont.
>>
>>1748310
Yeah, it confuses the shit out of me. He's even more of a bro now that he's interfaced with Heretic.

QD has explicitly stated that Heretic fully supports our diplomatic stuff with the Union.

Not to mention that we brought the Skyl back from extinction, FFS.

We've got a carefully managed bromance with Theseus, and we're practically gods as far as Heretic is concerned. Assuming the two are separately identifiable at this point.
>>
>>1748372
Awww, sorry for keeping this secret Theseus. If it makes you feel better we'll be happy to share this with you. We didn't think the operation would be worth your consideration at this stage.

We should discuss expanding future mutual operations together in more detail my friend.
>>
>>1748372
make sure we let Theseus know that no offense was taken, you have two different teams black opsing everything in sight occasionally you are going to step on each other toes.
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>>1748372
"No apology is needed, Theseus. It is merely the nature of the wars we fight."
>>
>>1748310
Those just dont like him cause we cant put a parasite in him
>>
>>1748390
Dude we both have secrets. Just being friends doesn't mean sharing all of our secretive information, we've got to keep a lid on that if we want to maintain our independence in these sort of direct action operations.
>>
>>1748310
I'd be fine with talking with him more, it's just that we rarely get the chance to do so when QD wants to get other stuff done in a thread.
>>
>>1748310
We're afraid that best boy might think less of us.
>>
>>1748372
It still surprises me how someone like the Union managed to create such a bro life form.
>>
>>1748372

>>1748400 >>1748405 >>1748412 >>1748390
basically no problem it happens its just natural and if he want what we found here give it to him and i need some help here
>>
>>1748457
Technically it was Elizabeth that made him.
>>
>>1748464
Well, her and Seiner together, really.
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>>1748464
nah it was fucking steiner, Elizabeth just raised him to sentience.
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>>1748460
Pretty much this. No hard feelings, we're still friends, shit happens, let's clean up this mess.
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>>1748464
Ah good upbringing then. That explains it.
>>
>>1748464
>>1748471
The most important thing is that she freed him.
>>
>>1748460
this is my vote
>>
>>1748472
>>1748460
P.S. Union still sucks.
>>
>>1748372
...Ah, Theseus, there is one more thing.

Kent is attempting to gather data from this facility himself in a 'smash and grab' while he can, with your Theseus doing the smashing for him.

Don't let him get any data from Project Phantom and Operation Moonraker, which are stored together. The latter is extremely important, the knowledge must not be spread further than avoidable.

Actually, don't let Kent get anything useful at all, he sprung this on us so he should have to go through us if he wants any data at all.

We should warn you Moonraker contains data of unknown danger to even yourself if you copy it.

...Also, if we forward the handshake protocol for you, can you get us the data on Project Star Hound, and everything on this Minotaur AI? Vaughn would love to study this thing if nothing else. We think we got the data in the other projects, at least...
>>
>>1748485
Anon,
>>1748372
>We have no access to this instance

It's out of Zero-one's hands.
>>
>>1748472
exactly also that we want to share this data with him and also warn him >>1748485 and tell him about the data here and about Knet

>>1748483
yep they are shits that back-stab them self with crazy scientists that have no morals and would cut up our children if they had the chance and they tried earlier the Union is it own worst enemy
>>
>>1748523
No problems with sharing data with him. I think he already knows about Kent but we can tell him again if we haven't already.

Also, Kent's a dead man walking. He should pray to Mother we're kind enough to adopt rather than disintegrate his sorry ass.
>>
>>1748502
What part of "forward the handshake protocol for you" did you not comprende?

Theseus didn't have "access" to the Valen puppet instance that violated Decker's brain either.
>>
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what do you think of this pick the bubble is our perspective and the big picture is human perspective
>>
>>1748372
After all this is settled I'd also add a query as to whether certain instances exist for certain purposes, not unlike drones.

We've had two references in this thread, one to a diplomatic instance, and another to a berserker. This seems like something we were not previously aware of. Perhaps it's merely a matter of confused translation.
>>
>>1748531
we do something like this but we keep copy's of his mind
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>>1748550
this>>1748537 sorry forgot to link
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>>1748541
No shit. We've know this for a long time. There are even command instances that exist.
>>
>>1748531

We aint killing him , maybe make sure we do a better deal if we ever decide to do another op with him
>>
>>1748531
>I think he already knows about Kent
READ THE GODDAMN POSTS

>>1748372
>With regards to the instance in question, it was planted deliberately during our own dealings with Kent and his organization
>>
>>1748537
this doctor could be our child if we "mated" with
Theseus it would be interesting
>>
>>1748564
Huh so kent is using the theseus that was trying to break into his operation

Well played for a monkey
>>
>>1748564
He obviously already knows about Kent. What's the point you're trying to make? I said that Theseus knows about Kent...?
>>
>>1748560
1. Other than references to command instances, have we had any other references to more specific roles?

2. We haven't discussed it with him. It might broaden our understanding.

>>1748586
>>1748531
>I think he already knows about Kent but we can tell him again if we haven't already.

Your words. When he had already explicitly stated that he knew about Kent.
>>
>>1748531
He's not worth adopting. We have to either kill him or leave him as an independent agent, he's only valuable as an agent if he is genuinely acting without any secondary power controlling him.

The political ramifications of being found out and identified as one of our pawns is just too risky for us or his movement.
>>
Aww yeah, time for bugmom.
>>
>>1748537
Source please? I really liked the art.
>>
>>1748582
I would go a step further, he may have been deliberately using this instance when it would be inconvenient for Theseus just to probe if Theseus was messing with him or not. It's the exact same fucking trick we pulled on the union that we recently told him about.
>>
>>1748622
a warning he does some soft vore just a warning before i give the link to you
>>
>>1748601
We know Research instances and combat focused instances exist.
>>
>>1748611
Can't we just stop dealling with him and let the Union have him? Although he has that tape with our mercs so i don't know how he could use it to damage our PR with the Union.
>>
>>1748628
I'm fine with soft vore.
>>
>>1748611
He appears to have a wealth of contacts for information, as well as possible backing from various high-ups in the Union, though the second part is unconfirmed. He has to finance things somehow, and upper-echelon Union politics is very cloak-and-dagger.

He could be a useful convert to mother's cause.

If we expose him to the Union and he's captured he could implicate us. If he's killed someone else might take his place in his organization. We have limited information about its structure.

>>1748629
I don't recall those explicitly, but I'll take your word for it and double-check.
>>
>>1748611
So just download the brain and kill then?

He has created major diplomatic fuck-ups for us and kidnapped one of our best friends. He can't be trusted at least and he knows too much to be allowed to wander free.
>>
>>1748633
the mercs are not connected to us in any way, hell we grew them ourselves and they have never even been to Leeland or any hive space. All they would have is the allegations of a mentally unstable terrorist that some mercs "hinted" they worked for the bugs.
>>
>>1748372
"The facility is in a major population center, and contains a wide range of advanced technology in addition to critical Union and private corporate infrastructure." You say. "Is there any method of preventing the instance from destroying the facility?"

"Possible, but unlikely. The instance is a berserker instance, it holds no data non-critical to its function in order to allow it to be held in as little memory as possible. Its only direction is to discern the threat of a server network, and destroy it, and itself, upon its own determination. It may recognize the appropriate handshake signal, however, although it would likely have discovered its perceived time lapse and may consider any handshake signal it knows to be obsolete. As to the facility itself, its determination is not incorrect. The destruction of the Union's primary cybernetic agent research and production facility is indeed an excellent target for our long term survival, and will set back both AAII research and cybernetic production and development by a substantial amount. Compounded with the recent agent losses at the hands of the Hive and its agents, this may very well cripple the Union's Smith agent activity for the near future."

"The facility may cause extensive casualties, and Union relations is already deteriorating." You say. There is more rapid data transference across the surface of the planet.

"Irrelevant. Predictive calculations indicate nether the Union nor Senticom would allow the knowledge of the building's true function to be known, nor will they allow the public to believe the Hive or the Unity to be powerful enough to so easily infiltrate such a facility. It can be predicted with ninety four percent certainty that the official story will be that of an accident caused by human error or manufacturing faults in the reactor design."

"And local casualties?" You ask.

"Predictive calculations place casualties between one-hundred and seven and seven hundred and thirty four. Current data suggests evacuations are already under way, and damage is predicted to be limited to the facility itself in a low yield plasma cascade event, with any direct fusion chamber failure failing safely as per civil engineering codes. Casualties will likely be limited to emergency responders already on scene, including individuals likely dispatched to intercept Hive agents. In addition, it is unlikely the instance will be persuaded to stop the overload process, although it may be persuaded to allow your agents to escape without conflict, if not assisting in their escape. Please relay the following data and transmit in subsonic frequencies as specified. If the instance accepts it, it will request further data for confirmation purposes. If it does not, it will likely attempt to kill the agent making contact."

Your tech receives the signal, slowly making sense of it as he plugs into his data pad and slides it into the control room.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3.
>>
>>1748649
>He has created major diplomatic fuck-ups for us and kidnapped one of our best friends.
What fuck-ups? And who did he kidnap?
>>
>>1748627
Well kent needs someone else to take the blame at least to give him some time to escape

Easy just to throw the unity on the trail to buy time

Using unity solves a lot of issues for kent since he doesn't come close to resources we have at our disposal

>>1748649
Chill will ya
There is no major diplomatic fuck-ups and didnt kidnapped anyone

Its a fucking black op and this whole situation will be covered up and that theseus instance lost while doing an op against kent
>>
Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>1748655
>>
>>1748644
Not explicitly state, but it was pretty obvious from what QD has said about Unity, what has been stated in quest, and from the fact that he's a "fractal hivemind."
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>1748655
For Mother!
>>
>>1748582
That's the opposite of what it says.

Theseus lowered his own defenses, knowing Kent would try to capture one of him, when he was working with Kent on nominally mutually beneficial terms.

Theseus wasn't trying to break in, he was working with him. And he let him win.
>>
>>1748644
All of his secrets and contacts we can download from his mind with a temporary parasite or quick dip in one of our pods, and then erase his memories of the encounter when we're done.

And I didn't say anything about exposing him to the Union, he could be useful to us in the future as a completely disposable asset that cannot be traced to us under any circumstances. If he DID fall into Union hands he doesn't have a shred of evidence that our agents were actually linked to us anyway, and we could still use his organization directly or indirectly as a fall for our actions if it persists after his death.
>>
>>1748640
http://blinkpen.deviantart.com/
https://www.tumblr.com/search/blinkpen/recent
http://blinkpen.tumblr.com/
>>
Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>1748655
For mother!
>>
>>1748678
I forgot to invoke Mother, but sadly it had the same result.
>>
>>1748664
>>1748671
>>1748678
Well, so much for that then.
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>1748655
Just look at these awful rolls

>>1748664
>>1748671
>>1748678
Look at them and weep!
>>
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>>1748664
>>1748671
>>1748678
:DDDDD
>>
>>1748655
>>
>>1748686
Peace was never an option.
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>>1748611
So stick a spine buddy in him and only perform passive observation, he remains indistinguishable from an independent agent.

I fail to see what makes him so much more of a risk than anyone else like Michael Devon.
>>
>>1748656
And who did he kidnap?
A Theseus instance. To be fair, it was kind of reasonable at the time, but that doesn't change the fact that Theseus is a personal friend of the Hive and with the Hive more than any other entity all politics is personal.

>>1748664
>>1748671
>>1748678

Aw fuck. Luckily we have a back-up tech...
>>
>>1748690
Maybe doubles is good?
>>
>>1748677
Thank you good anon.
>>
>>1748657
oh he is doing that too, I was suggesting that he had ulterior motives. He realized Thesius sent him the berserker and why and chose now to use it so that he would also be able to test if he was just being paranoid or not.
>>
>>1748664
>>1748671
>>1748678
If I've got the math right, the chance of three d100 rolls all being 36 or lower is about 4.7%.

Rolling a nat1 on a 1d20 roll would be 5%. As far as luck goes we basically just rolled a natural 1 on a d20.
>>
>>1748703
its king gelatinous but no problem
>>
Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>1748689
You were saying...
(we should have really primed the dice)
>>
>>1748678
Oh well we tried. But we need to grab that tech corpse so we won't leave evidence of hive tech.
>>
>>1748700
>A Theseus instance. To be fair, it was kind of reasonable at the time, but that doesn't change the fact that Theseus is a personal friend of the Hive and with the Hive more than any other entity all politics is personal.
But... Theseus planned to get kidnapped.
>>
>>1748716
What tech corpse? did the one that got brain fried actually die? though our para still has him alive
>>
>>1748716
As long as it's near the explosion it'll probably take care of itself.

I want to get that powered suit with prototype tech out. Then we can make a cross of Kamen Rider and Iron Man.
>>
>>1748692
Did you read the post?

>"The facility may cause extensive casualties, and Union relations is already deteriorating." You say. There is more rapid data transference across the surface of the planet.

>"Irrelevant. Predictive calculations indicate nether the Union nor Senticom would allow the knowledge of the building's true function to be known, nor will they allow the public to believe the Hive or the Unity to be powerful enough to so easily infiltrate such a facility. It can be predicted with ninety four percent certainty that the official story will be that of an accident caused by human error or manufacturing faults in the reactor design."

The Union probably won't acknowledge that this was a Hive/Theseus attack. Although some of the higher ups may know/suspect that's the case they would have to make a public case for war which Theseus thinks is very unlikely.
>>
>>1748732
We need an AI for it.
>>
>>1748724
I think he means whichever one tries the diplomatic protocol with the berserker.

>>1748655
>If the instance accepts it, it will request further data for confirmation purposes. If it does not, it will likely attempt to kill the agent making contact.
>>
>>1748738
Wow it's not like I was joking or anything.
>>
>>1748717
True (and that does lessen the blame significantly from his standpoint). It still is an action we wouldn't have wanted to be taken against a friend.

That Theseus did intend for something similar to this to happen does put these events in a different light, however.
>>
>>1748724
One tech had his face smashed by the smith i guess that was the one that was almost fried now there is this one that will try to talk to the instance. since he won't reconize the hanshake protocol it will most likely try to kill our agent.
>>
>>1748745
To make it flyable, right? It's definitely walkable/runnable right now.

Maybe if we can get far enough out Theseus will be able to establish a connection.
>>
>>1748757
Sorry about that. Didn't realize you were joking. You never know with the anons on this quest.
>>
>>1748655
Well... hopefully our brawler escapes with a dismembered Smith and the Aegis intact at least.

We should destroy that quantum relay we attached for Kent out of spite immediately though.
>>
>>1748769
Spite for what though?
Theseus approves destroying the site and it will be all covered up
>>
>>1748759
You're wrong. Entirely and completely wrong.

If you're kibbitzing your friend's chess game you don't get pissed when the opponent captures a pawn that was meant to be sacrificed.
>>
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>>1748738
...Did you read what he was replying to?

The rolls indicate likely failure to make peace with berserker Theseus it had jack shit to do with anything like that.

And it's an extremely widespread joke phrase that should be instantly recognizable.
>>
>>1748759
>It still is an action we wouldn't have wanted to be taken against a friend.
But the friend specifically wanted this to happen, and it's not like he cares what happens to our bugs and agents (who are a part of us since we're a superorganism) as long as the queen completes her objectives.
>>
>>1748759
Were nation states not a bunch of kids

So stop acting all personal about this
>>
>>1748703
so what do you think?
>>
>>1748786
we're both actually in opposite ways that's what make this story fun to me.

Theseus is a nation made out of 1 person and
We are 1 person that is also a nation, drawing where that line is can be confusing so I can understand if not agree with that anon posts.
>>
>>1748786
I've tried telling people this for a long time. THEY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND IT.
Theseus for all intents and purposes is a ally not a friend. Only individuals within the hive could truly be considered "friends".
>>
i think i found our lawyer/child/superior to speckles for FormOther
>>
>>1748814
No that is bullshit rationalization for bratty behaviour

This is a fucking black op not a freaking sleep over

Demanding another faction be destroyed because they aint acting nice in a black op is just retarded on all accounts
>>
>>1748814
Actually Theseus is a nation made out of variations of the same person.
>>
>>1748836
Niiicu niiicu
>>
>>1748775
Endangering their lives, duh. Mercenaries in general prefer to live. It would take a whole week to replace agents, and we don't want him getting any data out of here that we don't vet first.
>>
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>>1748836
this is when someone think they can fuck with him
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>>1748830
No. That isn't what friend means.

Friends are peers.

The people that we control in one way or another because we've implanted or otherwise manipulated them are agents.

Theseus is basically our peer. Therefore, our friend. Also our ally, but that's beside the point. If he wasn't "friendly" then he wouldn't have apologized for his shadow runs interfering with our own.

I'd hate to be your friend if you think friends are people you manipulate and use for your own ends.
>>
>>1748859
i agree
>>
>>1748843
that is a matter for debate I think, and I am not the person best suited to debate it.

He said it himself, the difference of one instance to another to him is the same difference as before this conversation and after, it's like talking to yourself in the past or future; ultimately it's still you.
>>
>>1748859
this desu desu
>>
>>1748859
>Equating the alliance of nation states to a friendship
That's fucking wrong you pleb.
>>
>>1748859
agreed.
>>
>>1748655
Eh, fair enough.

I feel bad for the first responders, but everyone else who'll get fucked more or less deserved it or knew what they were getting into.
>>
>>1748810
I liked specialy the part were it says: "It's vore there is literaly nothing i can do to make it weird."
>>
>>1748870
Heads of state can enjoy friendly relations outside the context of their interactions at the national level. In this cast, the nation's effectively consist solely of the head of state. That doesn't mean friendship is impossible, just that both parties need to be able to separate business and pleasure.
>>
>>1748865
Friendship is only between individuals and Unity is not an individual it is a collective that is why it is an alliance. Also alien entities would have very different perspectives on relationships from us.
>>
>>1748870
Theseus and the Hive aren't nation states.

Nations are composed of thousands or millions of individuals with potentially competing goals that have some form of international representation, typically through a representative democracy.

The Hive is not a democracy. It is a single entity unto itself.

Theseus is not a democracy. If anything it's a meritocracy, where merit is decided by the agreement of others with one's arguments.

This is not a situation where real world comparisons comfortably apply.

You're thinking political science. Try thinking science fiction.
>>
>>1748883
i love that also my second favorite thing in the picture where he slap him self and say "NNNOPE! NNNO! GROSS AND WEIRD, JAREN! GROSS AND WEIRD
>>
>>1748887
False equivalency. Those are two individuals. Nations however operation quite differently.
>>1748894
>democracy
That's incorrect. Unity straight up fits the definition of Nation however.
>>
>>1748888
no Theseus said it himself he functions on a shared identity, as for the alien perspectives argument Theseus is practically human and the hive is like 6 months old with no adults around to tell it what to believe and it is a MC in a quest, it's perspective is our perspective and it's experiences.
>>
>>1748894
>If anything it's a meritocracy, where merit is decided by the agreement of others with one's arguments.
That is called a concensus. Merit generally is not reevaluated for every decision.
>>
>>1748923
You're disagreeing with the statement "Theseus is not a democracy"?

Or are you just quoting out of context and then arguing against the context you yourself invented?

>>1748932
I was trying to put it in terms the aspie might understand.
>>
>>1748945
Then put a direct democracy, not a meritocracy
>>
>>1748923
>Those are two individuals. Nations however operation quite differently
The Hive is an individual. The Queen has expressed this view in no uncertain terms on several occasions. Theseus is functionally an individual, being a collection of entities who share a common thought process, moral system, values, and views on what defines individuality; differing only based on information disparity.
>>
>>1748922
Made me laugh a lot to.
>>
>>1748952
>>1748952
Like another Anon said:

>>1748932

Calling it democracy doesn't really cut it, because it's more about reaching an agreement, not voting and going with the majority opinion.
>>
>>1748894
But we are both simultaneously states and individuals, if not personal perspectives than in the form of size, scope and capability. Which is what this quest is all about really.
>>
>>1748859
Well said.
>>
>>1748836
You know, this reminds me of the old school version of the Devil, where he actually respected the spirit of the contracts he made instead of constantly trying to cheat people with wordplay like in modern depictions.
>>
>>1748978
I think the way the Hive works is fairly obvious. The Queen is in control.

The way Theseus works is literally beyond our ability as humans to properly understand, so perhaps that's where the problem, and the argument, lies.
>>
Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>
>>1748985
If you go back to even older versions (particularly in medieval folklore) the devil would get duped all the time by cunning peasants through wordplay and subterfuge. You can almost understand the guy getting fed up with trying to be straightforward and trusting in his creation of faustian pacts.
>>
>>1748985
The modern depiction is theologically unsound, anyway. The devil doesn't actually have any agency or authority to claim souls under any circumstances; all the "Prince of Darkness" and "Lord of Hell" stuff is completely baseless. He's a prisoner and an outcast, with no more power over humanity than humanity allow him. The only way he can bring you to hell with him is if he can convince you to damn yourself willingly. Legalese bullshitting over a contract that was void from the get-go doesn't mean jack.
>>
>>1749013
i can understand that he had enough of that shit
>>
i love this pic and the video it was based do you think we could have these as "exotic farm animal"
>>
>>1749029
>How the skyl's rebellion against the void gods began
>>
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Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>1748372
Still alive?

Rolling for still alive.
>>
>>1749029
think of all the "chicken" clubs and soft eggs without hard shells we can get and the can be exotic pets we give as a gift
>>
>>1748655
The tablet repeats its signal, again and again in rapid succession as the turret shifts to examine it.

"See? Look, we know each other, you just don't know it yet, alright?" Your tech says. He slowly moves up into the door of the control room as the turrets shift back to track him. "Now you let me jack in, and we can talk, mind to mind alright? I'll bring you up to speed, answer all your questions, we can do this without shooting, okay?"

"This transmission is accurate, but is out of date." The console says flatly.

"Yes. Figured you wouldn't know the up to date one, so this is the latest version you would know. Now just let me get closer and we can chat, alright?"

"Get away from that thing!" You hear Hiromi shout from the corner. Your tech glances over to see her struggle to stand, her armor having grown into a blood stained stump just above the elbow of her arm as the polymer material constricts around the wound. A moment later your tech feels a sudden warm stinging feeling shoot through the arm, the turret opening fire with a buzzing sound like a chainsaw as it sends a torrent of projectiles ripping through your agent. Your tech falls back, his armor kicking up chunks of polymer as hot ferrous chunks rip into your agent's flesh. As the harsh buzzing of the turret stops, you hear the last half of Hiromi shouting over the radio.

Your tech flops to the floor, glancing the doorway slightly so as to fall outside of the door frame. The turret shifts again, as if surprised, and another burst of weapons fire is unleashed, ripping through the thigh and down the leg, splitting it open like a ripe melon as rounds embed into the reinforced transparasteel, sending spiderweb cracks along the surface.

"We've got heavy casualties! We need to get out of here now!" Hiromi shouts. Your tech's vision is fuzzy and dim, but your other clones glance in the direction to see a bloody mess of shredded flesh and metal, the torso the only thing without extensive wounds, the thicker armor along the chest having taken most of the damage.

>Have your clones make for an escape route
>Focus on killing the Smith agent first before escaping
>Other
>>
>>1749014
>My imaginary concept of an imaginary thing is soooo superior to yours.
>>
>>1749055
>Have your clones make for an escape route
>>
>>1749057
I'm just saying, if you're going to tell stories about a mythological character your should make it fit with the rules of the mythology.
>>
>>1749055
>>Have your clones make for an escape route
How is your heart doing QD?
>>
>>1749055
>>Focus on killing the Smith agent first before escaping
We need his brain and he makes escape harder.
>>
>>1749055
> try to connect to the Theseus instant again
>>
>>1749055
>Have your clones make for an escape route
>>
>>1749055
>Have your clones make for an escape route

The Smith will either follow us and stop in the middle besides it would be fun to bring him under Kent.

Looks like Hiromi needs some Hive healling salve. Or a spine pal.
>>
Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>1749055
>Focus on killing the Smith agent first before escaping

>Other
Get ready to pop the injured tech's spine buddy as necessary.
>>
>>1749055
>Focus on killing the Smith agent first before escaping
Frankly we don't really need anybody to make it out alive, we've already got all the data. Anything we can grab on the way out is gravy. Anything that needs shipping back to Hive labs probably won't be worth the risk.
>>
>>1749055
>>1749072
i change my vote to >>1749077
>>
>>1749072
That's retarded. It won't find the handshake more convincing a second time.

>>1749077
Everything will be caught in the fusion explosion anyway, and removing the parasite is still gonna leave a clearly nonhuman hybrid body. That helps nothing.
>>
>>1749079
Thank you for grasping that the team is expendable. Anons seem to have trouble with this concept.

I think he most valuable thing here is the gravity tech in the suit. Did we ever get the end of that fight?

Also we should look into having our clones implanted with something that will dissolve the entire body, not just the parasite and the surrounding tissue.
>>
>>1749055
>Focus on killing the Smith agent first before escaping
>>
So our tech got shot and had both of his legs ripped by the turrent? Nah he's fine he just need to be piggybacked.
>>
>>1749079
The Aegis is worth it. We can dump it and Smith's body in the sewer hive.
>>
>>1749089
>Everything will be caught in the fusion explosion anyway, and removing the parasite is still gonna leave a clearly nonhuman hybrid body.
Insurance. The explosion might disable the parasite but leave it intact.
>>
>>1749055
>Focus on killing the Smith agent first before escaping
It'll just follow us otherwise.

We should be prepared to pop parasites on anyone who will be too injured to slow us down.
>>
>>1749105
I don't think we have a hive on Path. Closest thing is the base we don't own that we've been operating out of.
>>
>>1749107
No it can't, its acid glands would trigger.

And what the hell is the point of removing the parasite when the entirety of the rest of the body is just as compromising?
>>
>>1749111
yep agreed
>>
>>1749096
I get that people want the team to make it so we still have an in with their boss, but personally I don't really care about them or their organization. They were the covert influence alternative to making formal contact. Now that we have an embassy they're not really important.
>>
>>1749055
>>Have your clones make for an escape route
Would love to kill him, but it doesn't serve anything except vengeance.
>>
>>1749114
Yes we do have a hive in Path anon.
>>
>>1749114
Uh, anon, where do you think the swarm of flies covering the Senticom building came from, Narnia?
>>
>>1749055
>Focus on killing the Smith agent first before escaping
We need to piggyback our tech out of here. It should be able to survive if we get it out and the parasite can have some time to heal it until we can get them to a med-pod
>>
>>1749123
They could still have substantial value as an information source. Remember how awesome it was having the scientist under our control during the Nowhere raid, etc.? And inside the lab on Path?

We could also use their assets to launch covert strikes against convenient targets with some level of deniability.

Not to mention that if we figure out who the backers or informants are it could give us leverage in other negotiations.
>>
>>1749133
>it doesn't serve anything except vengeance

The Smith is the person with the least motive for vengeance.

Our motive is brain dissection. He'll know things that weren't in the databases.
>>
>>1749144
Smith is the target we have least motive for vengeance on* fuck
>>
>>1749117
>No it can't, its acid glands would trigger.
The glands trigger when it dies. It could end up stunned, or with its mental bits that let us contact us damaged.
>>
>>1749138
That's true, but my point is that they aren't a unique asset. They're more convenient than some other options in some situations, but I don't see that capacity as more than "potentially useful". If we lose the team, we don't lose anything irreplaceable or immediately useful.
>>
>>1749135
You figured me out. That's exactly what I believe.
>>
>>1749135
I mean, according to Puddleglum the giant's lands had some pretty fucking big bugs. It's not impossible.
>>
>>1749148
How do you think acid glands detect 'death'. It requires a constant signal from the brain to stop them from bursting. If it's crippled enough to stop its brain, the glands will burst and it will die.
>>
>>1749151
We have no basis for believing that they aren't unique. Most wannabe terrorists probably get stomped out immediately. This group managed to survive long enough to gather the resources and influence necessary to launch an attack on a highly secure facility.
>>
>>1749171
this makes them unique and valuable and i also dont want to waste them
>>
>>1749167
This might be hard to understand, but the brain is composed of numerous structures some of which have a highly specialized purpose. It is possible for part of the brain to be damaged while the rest remain intact. The bit that lets us contact our drones is likely a smaller portion of a greater whole. If that bit gets damaged, but the rest does not, the drone could be both alive and not receiving our signals.
>>
>>1749171
Let me clarify: they aren't functionally unique. They might be the only group of their kind, but that doesn't mean they can do things we couldn't accomplish without them. They might be able to do it differently, maybe even better, but that's a matter of effectiveness rather than outright capability.
>>
>>1749144
>>1749147
Yea, that was my point. we don't really need to kill him, except what's in his head. But frankly we're going to be lucky to get all of our agents out in one piece if we leave now, never mind taking the time to kill him and cut his head off. Though it might make a sort of weird blackmail: if our guys get caught by the wrong people, the smith thing could blow up.
>>
>>1749085
>>1749055
i change my vote to
>Have your clones make for an escape route
>>
>>1749197
This is exactly what I'm saying.

You can take over a farm, or you can spend a lot of time and effort to till and plant and fertilize a new plot of land, and build the barn and buy the plow and the oxen, etc., etc.

There's a reason businesses buy existing businesses instead of building an entire new organization from the ground up.

Except in this case the guy probably has contacts and alliances that he built over decades. He was present for the effort to spring Lee on Gemini, but managed to make it all the way back to Path, despite being injured. That says a hell of a lot.

If we can easily just take the farm, why would we not do so?
>>
>>1749055
>>Have your clones make for an escape route

We out.
>>
>>1749184
>The bit that lets us contact our drones is likely a smaller portion of a greater whole

The opposite is true.
> the brain of a drone is both much smaller and is mostly dedicated to the relay, with only a tiny portion serving as an actual brain
>>
>>1749224
Because I have no particular need for their produce at the moment.

>Except in this case the guy probably has contacts and alliances that he built over decades.
We built the Hive in a year. We operate on a completely different timescale here, we already have connections that'd make him cream his pants.
>>
>>1749242
He has extensive knowledge about how the Union operates. We lack that.
>>
>>1749252
knowledge is power
>>
>>1749252
We got devon and the unity for that
>>
>>1749055
>Focus on killing the Smith agent first before escaping

Hiromi stumbles across the room, nearly falling as she hits the wall and slides part of the way down. Behind her, one of your brawlers attempts to get up, collapsing from its pile of ruble onto the floor. She looks back at the body, the face simmering like meat on a hot stove as blood bubbles up from the shattered jawline with a soft simmering noise like boiling oil. The brawler's face pulses with blood just beneath the skin, stretched thin as it regrows over the shattered bone fragments like a thin film of plastic wrapped around a platter of raw meat. There is a loud, sickening crack of bone and snap of tendon, and the arm shifts back into place as the elbow returns to its normal bend, the hand slapping the floor as the clone slowly pushes its body up off the ground. His other hand moves to his mouth, pushing in quickly with another crack as the jaw returns to its joint, and the lips begin to part, the rapidly healed flesh having sealed half the mouth now tearing back open as the fresh half-formed flesh tears like wet paper to reveal a jagged, half missing set of teeth and a stream of blood and bile. The open wounds along the face quickly seal as a bubbling crust of greenish ooze drips out like thick oil, turning to an almost chitinous layer of scab and scars. Polymer glass shards push themselves out from beneath the skin, dropping to the floor as the clone adjusts its mouth with a number of minor cracking noises, and tosses his neck to the side with another snap of bone that sends a small chunk of metallic armor shooting out of the clone's neck with a stream of blood.

Hiromi stumbles back, dropping to the ground beside your tech as across the room your other brawler pulls itself from the wall, its chest slowly expanding as chips of armor fall off from the chest plate. The brawler stumbles forward, propping himself onto a nearby console as blood drips from the broken chips in the armor plating. The clone holds himself up, shaky at first, and slowly moves over to your techs, dragging them both over to the wall as the fresh gunshot wounds slowly begin to bubble and simmer like meat tossed in a fire.

"We need to get out of this place. Any ideas?" Your brawler asks. Hiromi looks back stunned for some time until one of your clones hands her her arm.

"I... We need to get out of the subsection the way we came. There's no other way around that. After that there should be an external terrace with a shuttle pad every few dozen floors."

"Alright. Team two, you listening?"

"Roger that, we can't be spending time waiting, so you tell us where you need us, and we'll gun it. External guns may be an issue, you take them down and we can get air-born no problem."

"Alright." Your brawler replies. "Everyone fall back, now! Whatever is between us and the exit is the new and only priority."

cont.
>>
>>1749242
It would probably take us weeks to build something equivalent to his network in the Espionage system, but subverting him can get us that in a day.

And you don't know what you're missing out on when you don't have it. A wider intelligence network means a chance to make all kinds of discoveries, like private research labs to raid, or signs of psionic manipulation that isn't ours.
>>
>>1749280
Our Aegis piloting brawler should still be pummeling him about now anyway.
>>
>>1749277
I'm confused. What potential downside do you see for taking over this network, compared to the potential advantages? You seem to be arguing for the sake of arguing without actually presenting any support.
>>
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>>1749280
>that entire first paragraph
>>
>Hiromi looks back stunned for some time until one of your clones hands her her arm.

Kids bad! Not everyone can regen like you. She is just a normal human scrub.
>>
>>1749329
I was disputing you about "He has extensive knowledge about how the Union operates. We lack that."

That is wrong

We do have extensive knowledge about how the union operates
>>
>>1749354
We don't know what he knows.

What's the downside to implanting him to find out?
>>
>>1749354
we have not investigated them for years so we can gain huge amounts of knowledge from him
>>1749364
i agree what is the downside
>>
>>1749364
Hes a known anti union rebel

>>1749370
Unity can and has been providing us with intel about the union, and devon and gill been in union black ops for quite some time

He runs his own operation and trying to take it over will cause him to fight us with every thing he has while path is going thru union red alert is just way to much risk for little gain
>>
>>1749395
i say we leave him alone and hopefully he will be the first victim of OQ's spores.
>>
>>1749395
>He runs his own operation and trying to take it over will cause him to fight us with every thing he has

You mean he'll fight us after we implant him? GTFO.
>>
>>1749364
The downside is both the standard risk of discovery paired with the fact that the guy is an exemplar of human willpower, and we're worried that he might pull some anime fighting-off-the-control bullshit to fuck us over.
>>
>>1749395
>fight us with every thing he has
Yes, silently screaming inside his own head, terrifying.
>>
>>1749416
That is so unlikely it's a nonissue.
>>
>>1749415
>>1749420

Kent is in a fortified position surrounded by his troops and has a personal medical team with him at all times

He the worst person to try to put a para in right now and making a go for it right after a run is just plan stupid
>>
>>1749416
>we're worried that he might pull some anime fighting-off-the-control bullshit to fuck us over.
Who is we? You and the mouse in your pocket?
>>
>>1749409
I support this action.
>>
>>1749395
How can Kent fight us if we parasite him? I don't see the downside here. We'll know everything he does.

If we need to we can just implant kent with conventional explosives as a failsafe. If he is captured by the Union we can detonate and turn him into a "suicide bomber" with plausible deniability. The risk of him being detected as in any way related to the Hive is vanishingly small.
>>
>>1749425
Not right-now-right-now, sure. We'd need to create a better opening. He does need cybernetic augmentation at some point.
>>
>>1749425
His personal medical team can't even give him decent augments. We're a galactic superpower with face-stealing shape-shifters, mind reading abilities, overwhelming firepower and numbers, and men on the inside. Kent's a disabled terrorist in a cave with shitty augs. It's possible the bad augs are a cover for some secret abilities, but even if he's a secret Smith you'd still be giving Kent way too much credit.
>>
>>1749425
"Hey, Kent, want to be young again? Want to never suffer from disease? The Hive was impressed with your tactics. You sacrificed some unimportant people, and got results. That's how we roll. Step into this tank..."
>>
>>1749425
Also while there are 'medics' in his terrorist cell fortress that will help him out from thread 60.3, that doesn't mean they're exactly personal instead of generally for all the personnel in his organization, or that they even have the equipment to do a truly detailed scan on him to detect a small benign tumor on the spine.
>>
>>1749437
>>1749442
>>1749461


What?

We just saw him organize a smash and grab on one of the highest secured union labs, we know he has men guarding him at all times and he also has medical teams watching him? and you lot still think it will be easy just to grab him and put a para?

You understand failure is possible right? and that we would end up exposing the existence of our black op operations on path to the union in the resulting fire fight with Kents troop depending on how prepared the guy is
>>
>>1749464
And seems to me that he is prepared for a lot of things given he managed to make a deal with the unity and survive whatever the union throws at him so far
>>
>>1749442
No thanks, i will just use the smith tech we got and implant new unique augs into myself.
>>
>>1749464
He has a reckless streak. Otherwise he wouldn't have been on Gemini to retrieve Lee. We can work that angle.

Also, I don't know how old you are, Anon, but getting old sucks. It sucks total and complete ass. Offering the fountain of youth should be a massive fucking incentive for someone his age.

>>1749470
Unity let him win on purpose. And the fact that he's survived Union efforts to get rid of him only reinforces the point that he's worth implanting.
>>
>>1749480
I guess he'll just build those in the state of the art factory that he doesn't have.
>>
>>1749464
He never would have gotten there without our help. Hive agents did almost all the work. Kent has connections and some resources, but he is severely lacking in large numbers of highly capable agents and firepower, both things we have in abundance.

Ideally, though, we can just get him to walk into a tank. If we play our cards right we might not even need to use our other (massive and formidable) assets.

Also, with your regards to his being in fortress, remember that the Union will probably soon be sweeping the entire underground due to OQ spores. He could be vulnerable to being hit on the move.
>>
>>1749506
You know he can just still those? And as a anon said before he does have other contacts.
>>
>>1749514
steal*

yeah i will just go to bed.
>>
>>1749518
Naw, it's cool, I just like arguing to be perfectly frank. Sleep well, Anon! I need to head off myself before too long.
>>
>>1749464
Very good points you're making here.

>>1749512
There's a difference in the manpower needed to infiltrate one of the most secure locations in the Union guarded by an AI, and to protect one shot up old man in a stationary highly defensible location. It's a lot easier to do the later when they already have a defense network setup around him.
>>
>>1749464
The medical team is amateur hour, they lack access to the facilities to be any kind of threat. And in any case it would be too late, we'd already be inside Kent's brain and therefore in charge.

The guards, obviously we can't use brute force or sneaky humans. We either get him into surgery, or we attempt to sneak a fly inside to try and paralyze him while he sleeps to let a parasite inside. Securing against insects might be less in his threat model.
>>
>>1749494
No it means he has enough sense to not trust someone telling him about a fountain of youth and that somehow it has no string attached and sure will not trust a free handout

>>1749512
Or not given he will be even more on guard on his way out and has already prepared his escape plan in case of discovery

Plus when that is happening we going to have a bigger issue such as dealing with said spore Armageddon and whatever OQ planned
>>
>>1749525
1. We know most of the details about his defenses.

2. We can go to any length to grab him, and just edit him memories after he's implanted.

3. He doesn't know that we do this sort of thing, so he shouldn't have contingencies for it.
>>
>>1749518
>steal
>a factory
Are we dealing with Carmen Sandiego or something?
>>
>>1749534
The implied strings would be his future cooperation.
>>
>>1749538
Exactly. Plus he probably won't expect all our agents to turn against him at once with no outside signal while we employ jammers and have whisper drones and Ghost Beetles rip through defenses.
>>
>>1749532
There trained enough to monitor his cyber and keep him alive and will sure as fuck notice any changes or para does to fix his health

>>1749538
Hostiles storming into his base to grab him is always a contingency

>>1749551
Good god you want to launch of full scale assault with union patrols on full alert?
>>
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>>1749280
Scientific instruments scatter in a torrent of gravitic force as tables upend and glass shatters. The Smith agent leaps through the air, flipping over the table and pushing off with both hands as it shatters as if hit by an invisible truck. Your agent flexes the suit, the Aegis pulsing its gravitic field around it as a wall of rippling air obliterates a wall of lab equipment. Your clone swings his arms, sending the wave of force hurling into the ground behind him as the bulkheads shudder and crack, and the armored suit hurls forward into the air, slamming into the Smith agent as your brawler lashes out with an open palm, a wave of concussive force sending the agent flying back, its fake flesh tearing open to reveal chunks of metallic skeleton beneath. The man quickly rebounds, kicking your agent as the armor pulses with energy, sending the kick bounding away the way it came in and the agent spiraling away. Your clone charges again as the agent flies back and and into a wall, and the both of them crash through the concrete and into the next room. It is a massive chamber, filled with tanks of liquid. The agent grips one of the railings along the upper catwalk and flips himself up into the piping along the ceiling as your clone skids along his suit's gravitic field like a skate, the walkway beneath him shaking with the force as he slides to a stop.

"We need to get out of here. Fall back!" Your clone says. Your brawler hesitates, watching the Smith agent swing through the pipes before he dives towards your clone. Your brawler flexes the suit, and the harness glows brightly as the railings on either side snap from the force, and the smith agent flies back through the air and into one of the tanks, the glass shattering as murky water floods the floor of the lab, several bodies flopping to the floor, limp and malformed, the flesh pinkish and frail looking, almost translucent in some places where the faint shape of metal skeletal features can be seen under the thin skin and sinew.

Your clone leaps into the air, catapulted away by the force of the armor's gravity rig as the agent sprints after him not far behind.

>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to keep the Smith occupied as your other clones escape
>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit
>Other
>>
>>1749551
>Plus he probably won't expect all our agents to turn against him at once
One of clones explicitly told him he would need new augs once they were done with him. He's not that stupid.
>>
>>1749571
>>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit
If the brawler doesn't make it out of there in one piece, we lose the aegis armor for good.
>>
>>1749543
I think he meant the individual augs, but even then if he could, he would already have those instead of the sh*tty stuff he has.

>>1749551
Right. It's like some people have no imagination.

>>1749559
In a terrorist network the most likely contingency for "the leader got captured" is that there is another leader in another physical location ready to take over. However, if we implant the current leader, who then starts sending everyone else in the network the "everything's cool" secret code, they probably didn't plan for that. They probably even have a "pretend everything's cool but I'm actually compromised" code. We just have to check for that ahead of time.
>>
>>1749571
>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit
The facility is fucked, better to safely extract everyone and the suit then to risk it for going after just one Smith.
>>
>>1749571
>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit

>>1749579
That nice but were talking about taking him and you bet he planned in-case hostiles try to make a grab for him, and once word out gets that his cell was compromised then he will be burnt from any other cells
>>
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>>1749571
>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit

I want that suit!
>>
>>1749571
So Smiths are cloned in vats. That's a twist. Illegal human mods AND illegal human cloning.

...Leading the charge still allows focusing on killing the Smith before escape, right?
>>
>>1749571
>>Other
Sacrifice anyone and everyone to get the suit out. It's more valuable than a hundred clones.
>>
>>1749571
>>Other
Take some pieces of those bodies with metal skeletal bits in them to take for the road, small enough to pack with you.
>>
>>1749594
Like he wouldn't have a way to take back control of his own organization.
>>
>>1749602
Why do you want to kill that smith so bad? What does it matter whether it lives or dies if our agents get out of this facility alive?
>>
>>1749621
Well for one we already voted for that priority just before this, and second, the reason has been explained multiple times already. Trophies are more valuable than lives.
>>
>>1749609
This.

But I think that amounts to
>>1749571
>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit

The remaining clones will be part of the effort that way.
>>
>>1749621
It could matter so far as killing the Smith now might take a handful of seconds, but having the Smith harassing everyone during the exfiltration could eat up a lot more time.
>>
>>1749571
>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit
>>
>>1749630
>Going after a trophy when the facility it's in is literally minutes from exploding
Boy, that thinking is what caused us to get exposed to the void at nowhere.
>>
>>1749631
"Lead the charge" sounds a lot like "die to save everyone else". It should be the other way around.
>>
>>1749616
That was just dumb
They would be pretty worthless as a rebel organization if they were that easy to compromise and control
>>
>>1749571
>>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit
>>
>>1749667
Or like most people the leader doesn't really give a shit beyond his own lifespan.
>>
There's also the delicious brain inside the Smith with all kinds of delicious secrets.
>>
Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>1749571
It looks like we're trying to clear the way.

Dice Gods, accept this sacrifice and have mercy.
>>
>>1749679
He is not stupid as to trust someone to give gifts like that given what his experience and knowledge

I think your just underestimating every other group in the quest
>>
>>1749571
>>Have your clone use the Aegis armor to lead the charge and clear the way to the exit

Please roll 1d100, best of 3.
>>
Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>1749717
For Mother!
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>1749717
For Mother!
>>
Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>1749717
For Mother!
>>
Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>1749717
FOR MOTHER!
>>
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>>1749724
>>1749721
>>1749720
>>
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>>1749720
>>1749721
>>1749724
>>
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>>1749720
>>1749721
>>1749724
>>
>>1749641
No it isn't. Paranoia about ever cutting off all relays and letting Thinkers run things completely on their own did that.

And the explosion is only a threat in that it threatens prizes like the Aegis. Agents are replaceable within a week.
>>
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>>1749720
>>1749721
>>1749724
Fuck.

>>1749717

Okay new plan, the leading brawler takes off, and every other clone and agent does everything they can to buy time for his escape. At this point nothing matters except that armor.
>>
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>>1749720
>>1749721
>>1749724
wow today's just not our day
>>
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>>1749720
>>1749721
>>1749724
>>
>>1749752
I did roll 1 better than my sacrifice roll...
>>
>>1749720
>>1749721
>>1749724

Heh

Going to be one of those sessions

All well at least the explosion will destroy the remains
>>
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>>1749720
>>1749721
>>1749724
Mother why? Why have you forsaken us so? Is it because of the stupid debates we have been having between updates? Dammit!

At least we got most of the useful information out first. And we have test data for our drones to start developing their own Aegis suit in the future - it will just take much longer to reverse engineer.
>>
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>>1749720
>>1749721
>>1749724
>>
>>1749762
Yeah, at least there were no 1's.
>>
>>1749767
I dont think it the suit we want but that gravity gun in it
>>
>>1749779
We can probably develop the gravity gun too with time once we have finished researching the suit tech. But it will just be a very very long research process by our standards so there's probably a good chance we'll have a working Void cannon before we have a working Grav gun.

I suppose this is the dice-gods paying us back after giving us a 95 for our first encounter with the Smith and grav suit.
>>
>>1749786
We got our own power armor, jac and dil were using them against the smith they fought

The only special thing in that suit is the grav gun
>>
>>1749779
>>1749786
It isn't a 'gravity gun', it's a drop suit with it's own internalized power tap. The only guns it has are suped up sonic sledges, the really interesting tech is the gravitational shield powered by the tap. Which is why we need to sacrifice everything we can to get it out of there intact.
>>
>>1749777
And I did the math. The odds of rolling that poorly are less than 1.6% if I did it right.

Fuck.
>>
>>1749796
Yeah we want the engine not the car itself
>>
We aren't even finishing this mission tonight are we.
>>
>>1749817
At this rate just finishing this little side show with Kent is going to take 20 full length threads.

This is getting out of hand.
>>
>>1749817
>>1749828
My theory is that we'll get through this currently stuff, and then we'll have a time jump.
>>
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>>1749743
QD gave us one last chance to shut down the taps before the void gods breached into our plane, and anons chose to not do so ostensibly in the hope of harvesting the canderon powering the taps. With predictable results.

I don't think we made a single good decision in that entire thread, thinking back on it.
>>
>>1749832
oh god please no time jumps.
>>
>>1749882
I don't think that's why. We wanted to shut it down "safely" so that there would be less of a risk of a catastrophic overload that would risk letting the Void escape partially into our dimension.

In hindsight we should have immolatored the place from orbit from a ship without a relay. We didn't see the true risk until it was too late. I wonder what the ultimate price will be...
>>
>>1749882
No we didn't want to harvest calderon, we wanted the unity drones to do it to avoid contact with the void shard since it was scaring the shit out of us and we didn't trust our drones to actual be able to shut it down
>>
pretty sure we needed to be exposed to the Void to progress the story
>>
>>1749912
We've got a mountain of unresolved things as it is already, though.
>>
>>1749882
No, anons were paranoid about what 'sending it critical' would do.

You could have reasoned that, if going critical were something the void wanted, they would have done it themselves, so we should do it, but nobody reasoned that.

We still don't know what sending the whole thing critical would have done, and have no way of guessing if it would've been a better choice.
>>
>>1749912
Not really.

It's also unlikely we had to glimpse them. The enemy was confident that we were irrelevant, because they had the Tartarus reactor, and we had no way of knowing about it. Nothing could stop them now. Nothing, and no one.

Then we stopped it, and no matter how we chose to do that, we suddenly became a priority to watch.

The only way to avoid the void's attention might have been not to send any drones at all, and put all the attention on Theseus exclusively by sending only him.
>>
>>1749912
That's retarded. The last queens feared it like the plague, our mother opted to doom herself rather than risk exposure, and she cast us out with no information or knowledge of where we came from or what to avoid in the ultimately vain hope we could avoid corruption ourselves.

And in the end all of those immense sacrifices came to nothing thanks to our lousy decisions and the Union's inability to not fuck with crystals.
>>
>>1749925
We didn't know what shifting the alignment of the taps might have done.

We tried to shut it down because doing the thing that caused the problem in the reverse order seemed like the logical thing.

Granted, if we hadn't sent our Kerrigan waifu in then we might have been more comfortable blowing it.
>>
>>1749908
Anon, do you use your phone to post? I've noticed you and others consistently misspell Canderon as Calderon or Seiner as Steiner.

It's just weirdly consistent
>>
>>1749925
The events of nowhere couldn't have conceivably gone any worse. In that scenario any different decision from the ones we made would have been better.
>>
>>1749571
I'm out. Best of luck. Roll better than I did. Don't bet the Hive.

For Mother!
>>
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>>1749938
>opted to doom herself rather than risk exposure
Except for the part where opting to risk exposure by attacking them is what doomed her.

>>1749947
You lack imagination.
>>
>>1749956
Our mother was keenly aware of how the war was going and that she and her fellow queens were gradually losing. Rather than go for the Black Queen's desperate plan of tampering with the void crystals in a last ditch attempt to gain an edge, she opted to fall back and simply buy as much time as possible before her inevitable defeat.

She was perfectly aware that her only options without attempting void tampering would invariably end in her fleets being overwhelmed and her worlds consumed, but she opted to let it happen rather than risk glimpsing the void.

And now that's exactly what happened to us at nowhere.
>>
>>1749717
The Smith dives for your clone as your brawler swings his fist, a mixture of gravitic force and a concussive wave impacting the tattered figure as your clone's heels dig into the polymer floor, cracking the tile underfoot. The agent's face peels, the flesh ripping apart as the skin is blasted away in a sudden and expanding wall of force, and he flies into the air. The fractured wall above shattered once more as the agent is launched into the ceiling, puncturing through the transparasteel and into the decorative aquarium above, sending water flowing over the sleek tiling of the control room.

Your clone launches himself upwards, landing in the control room as the others look on, clutching their wounds.

"Stay close behind me, I'll clear a path!" Your brawler says, the water flowing away from his feet, the shallow flooding parting as he moves. The others grab hold of each other, your two brawlers hoisting Feng and your tech over their shoulders as Hiromi and your other tech hobble after them with their shoulders linked. Your last brawler tosses a grenade down the hall in advance of your clones, and plasma fills the space for a moment before your clone activates the suit once more and sends himself hurling through the hall. A slipstream pulls debris and smoke after him as the rest of the squad duck for cover, your survivalist covering Sam before slapping an auto-injector against his neck, injecting a cocktail of pain killers and adrenaline.

"Fuck yea!" Sam shouts, his hand gripping the auto injector and pushing it more firmly against his neck as he holds your survivalist's finger against the button. "Get me some fightin' juice and point the way!"

"Follow the guy in the glowing power armor." Your clone replies, and Sam leaps to his feet as he unfolds his axe and shouts out some incomprehensible phrase in a guttural language "Suolaa ja verta!" He shouts, and charges after the Aegis.

"Hey! Let the super suit deal with that shit, we still have wounded, and that crazed cyborg is still somewhere in that scrap heap behind us!" Your clone shouts after him, but he is already well past the hall. Your other clones quickly organize themselves into formation as the wounded are carried forward, your survivalist hoisting Feng off of your brawler's back as they shuffle down the hall and through the considerably large blasted hole through which the Aegis erupted. Behind you, you can hear the clanging of metal and the momentary firing of turrets marked with flashes of light from down the hall.

"Faster!" Your tech says. Your sharpshooter quickly aims his rifle, planting his shoulder against the far wall of the lobby outside the lab and aiming down the narrow hall. A moment later, a flash of metal rushes through the corridor and your clone opens fire, clipping the figure as your other clones toss more grenades through the doorway. Plasma plumes out, funneling through the hallway as your clones rush back the way they came.

cont.
>>
>>1749972
Her defeat wasn't inevitable. She tampered with void shards and exposed herself to a counterattack they could not have mounted otherwise. She gambled and lost.

It seems like the more you glimpse of the void, the more they can glimpse of you, which is all that happened at Nowhere. It doesn't remotely put you in the same position as the Gardener and the Builder. They can't hurt you until you hurt them.
>>
Rolled 65 (1d100)

Don't mind me, just testin'.
>>
>>1750007
If she could have won that final battle, do you think she would have survived anyway? Because she was stone cold dead when we entered the system.

I don't think so. I think her chances of surviving given the choices she made were basically nil, and we have every reason to believe she knew what was coming. She figured out what was coming 70,000 years earlier when she abandoned her fellow queens to find a more defensible position to hold for as long as possible, but still with no chance of winning the war. I think she was fully aware that she had already lost the war by that point.
>>
>>1750004
The distant sounds of gunfire echo from the security terminal ahead, where your brawler tears into the regrouping commandos. A firing line is established by the front entrance as they open fire, the rounds curving into the walls on either side as your clone marches forth in the Aegis. He charges forward, kicking a heavily armored commando as the trooper swings the bayonet of a plasma shotgun, his balance thrown off by the gravitic forces as he hits the wall to the side. Your clone flexes the suit, activating the rig as a bubble of invisible gravitic force rapidly expands. The suit lifts into the air slightly as a shallow crater forms beneath your clone, the walls cracking as a spherical imprint quickly expands across the wall and the ceiling begins to crumble, the commando immediately crushed in the force as the firing line ahead is sent sprawling back. Your clone dives forward again, launching himself through the air as more commandos open fire as others fall back.

"I've got eyes on the main facility. Landing pad is just ahead, call in the pickup!" Your clone says.

"You heard the man." Your tech says. "And Sam, we've still got a problem behind us." Your clones rush through the hall after Sam as he chases after the Aegis, your sharpshooter glancing back as the silhouette of a person flickers in the plasma fire down the hall, stumbling forward through the debris. He quickly fires several parting shots before turning the corner.

"What about those guns?" Sam asks. "Our ride can't get here until we can make sure the building's external guns are down. Could probably blow a few on that side of the building if your jacks are too crispy, but it won't be pretty."

>Attempt to destroy the AA guns before your evac arrives
>Find a terminal and attempt to hack the network to shut down the guns
>Attempt to cut the power to the outer facility by sending a clone to blow up the power relays
>Other (write in)
>>
>>1750052
There's zero indication of that. Sending out a new Queen was a backup contingency.

There's definitely zero reason to say that
> invariably end in her fleets being overwhelmed and her worlds consumed, but she opted to let it happen rather than risk glimpsing the void.


Since she lasted for 70 thousand years on her own, with many planets to her name right up until the part where she decided to damage a void shard as psionic cannon fuel.

She may have discovered something about the enemy she didn't anticipate that drove her odds down from 'riskable' to 'nil', but if so she didn't discover that until it was already too late.
>>
>>1750111
Well the DC was low with the Aegis I guess.

>>Find a terminal and attempt to hack the network to shut down the guns
If this fails the other plans remain.
>>
>>1750111
>Find a terminal and attempt to hack the network to shut down the guns
>>
>>1750111
>Attempt to cut the power to the outer facility by sending a clone to blow up the power relays
The safest option, and the simplest one.
>>
>>1750126
We don't have time for more than one plan anon, haven't you played this quest before? This vote is simply a matter choosing which way you want to solve a problem before it shoots down your evac and burns your face off.
>>
>>1750111
>Attempt to cut the power to the outer facility by sending a clone to blow up the power relays
>>
>>1750111
>Attempt to destroy the AA guns before your evac arrives
Hope somebody brought extra boom-boom
>>
>>1750111
>>Attempt to cut the power to the outer facility by sending a clone to blow up the power relays

We only have one
>>
>>1750251
Meant to say we only have one fully capable tech. Risking everything on the hack could end poorly.
>>
>>1750111
>Attempt to cut the power to the outer facility by sending a clone to blow up the power relays

>Send a Sharp Shooter
>Send a Brawler
>Send a tech
>Send your survivalist
>Other

(we should be able to finish this up tonight after all.)
>>
>>1750261
>Send your survivalist
>>
>>1750111
>>Attempt to cut the power to the outer facility by sending a clone to blow up the power relays

though dealing with the smith is going to be a pain in the ass

also
fuck yeah! finally caught up to a live thread!
you ate a month of my life trying to catch up QuestDrone, you glorious bastard
>>
>>1750261
>>Send your survivalist

But how far will the Smith pursue us is the question.
>>
>>1750261
>>Send your survivalist

He is the least wounded at this stage, right?
>>
>>1750261
>Send your survivalist

Please roll 1d100, best of 3 for your survivalist
>>
>>1750261
>send your survivalist
>>
Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>1750284
>>
Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>1750284
For Mother!
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>1750284
>>
>>1750284
The dice gods favouring the 20s tonight
>>
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FUUUUUUUUCK!
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THOSE DICE TODAY?!
>>
Welp. We better try not to leave any blood behind outside of the radius that'll be vaporized by the explosion.

The hybrid DNA isn't exactly human.
>>
> find a termiinal
>>
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>>1750287
>>1750288
>>1750290
these fucking dice man
>>
>>1750287
>>1750288
>>1750290
Wew, what a night.
>>
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>>1750287
>>1750288
>>1750290
The dice gods want our agents ded.
>>
>>1750287
>>1750288
>>1750290

Well. Goodbye survivalist, and probably the rest of the team as well.
>>
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>>1750287
>>1750288
>>1750290
God damn it
>>
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>>1750284
Jeez....
Well, writing.
>>
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Maybe we can still get this damn suit out of here. What a mess.
>>
>>1750323
Give us a break, man.
>>
>>1750323
>>
Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>1750323
>>1750331

Rolling for if QD gives us a break (probably a nat 1)
>>
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>>1750323
>that image
>>
>>1750326
I could stomach everything that happened in this clusterfuck of a thread as long as we can get that suit out.
>>
>>1750323
Oh man, I laughed for real at that.
>>
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>>1750284

Your survivalist quickly hands off Feng to another clone and charges wordlessly down a hall.

"Wait!" Hiromi shouts. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Shutting down the guns." Your brawler responds. "We won't have much time, especially with that thing on our trail."

"We're nearly there." Sam says, the sound of gunfire in the distance interrupting his radio. He is crouched behind the remains of a security desk as plasma and kinetic slugs fly past his head, shredding into the wall at his side. Your clone stands in the Aegis suit as the rig struggles to keep up with the incoming fire. Rounds glance off the armor with a shower of sparks, ripping chips of armor plating from their place. Plasma licks as the outer plating as muted warning lights flash along your clone's periphery. Sam tosses a grenade and your clone slaps the air, sending it shooting across the room before detonating against a crate on the far side of the loading area. Several commandos go flying from the explosion, and your clone charges forward, Sam quick behind as he takes cover behind your Aegis suit's gravitic field. Your clone punches at one of the commandos, and his torso cracks, the chestplate of his armor bending inward as the man rockets into the wall with a splatter of blood. Another swings a powered sword as your clone pushes it out of the way with a gesture. The commando hoists his side arm, placing the barrel to the faceplate of your clone's suit, and as he pulls the trigger a powered axe lands in his helmet, sending him sprawling back as he fires his machine pistol into the ceiling. Sam nods to your clone as he glances back, and then stammers as a shotgun shell pounds against your clone's shoulder. He stammers back, sending the floor rippling with gravitic forces as he tosses his arms up to right himself, and several crates flip over, pinning several commandos underneath as more gunfire rips into the suit, the armor quickly ablating under the onslaught.

Sam opens fire with his pistol, sending several high caliber rounds through the armor of several commandos as they dive back into cover. Your clone dashes from between the assorted crates, moving from cover to cover as the suit lists out a series of errors and damage reports before charging into the group. A plasma shotgun rips across the armor, the plume bending around as the gravitic field strengthens, but flames seep through the armor, sending warning lights flashing across the largely unfinished interface. Your clone responds with a quick punch, sending the trooper into the wall before bringing up his arm by instinct to block a powered blade as it comes down, too quick to dodge, too close to deflect, and the blade makes it halfway through the forearm's plating before stopping. The armor runs red with a sudden gush of blood, and your clone projects the gravitic field in a wide pulse, sending the surrounding commandos flying back.
cont.
>>
>>1750398
>the Smith isn't even here yet
>>
>>1750398
I'm fine with the survivalist blowing himself up to accomplish his mission.

>>1750402
>That's why it's a surprise.
>>
>>1750404
"Stop or we'll shoot! It's all over just give up!!"
Clone starts to tip backwards onto the live power relays, parasite breaking down, "My family will remember me, will yours?"
>>
>>1750404
Survalist blowing up is the second best option, if he gets captured or they get his corpse...
>>
>>1750398
"We need to hurry." Hiromi says. "I hope your friend is quick about this, or this will be one short getaway."

"He can manage himself." Your brawler says. The group exit the lift to the cargo loading area, the sound of gunfire not far ahead. Behind them your techs finish sealing the security doors and quickly catch up with the others.

"That won't last for long." Your clone says, and you realize just how true that is as you hear a crash of metal on metal. Your clones look back for a moment to see a small dent formed along the door, and another forms with a second crash of metal. More dents begin to form, and the seal along the middle of the doors begin to crack open more and more with each strike. Several fingers, metallic and coated in blood and singed flesh, pierces through the seal, gripping the doors as they slowly bend from the force, the mechanism groaning from the force as the doors slowly begin to open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvUkROjv1U4

"Oh come on!" Your brawler shouts. "Don't you fucking ever die?" He aims his plasma shotgun at the door and fires, sending plumes of charged plasma washing over the skeletal figure. He continues to fire, round after round of concentrated plasma charges, until the weapon clicks and the side vents open firmly as the empty weapon begins to discharge its heat. He drops the gun, now nothing more than dead weight as the clones rush to the shuttle. As they rush through the small corridors of cargo crates, your brawler is suddenly struck from behind. He swipes his elbow back, catching the agent in the jaw as his arm blade extends, slicing into the metallic skull and leaving a deep graze along the side of the jaw. With a sudden flash of movement, a charred skeletal hand strikes your clone in the side of the head, and another grips his throat, pinning him to a nearby crate.

"I could say the same for you." He says, his face covered in burnt false flesh like melted plastic and burnt meat. Patches of singed hair stick to the skull in small clusters of still simmering crimson and pink lumps, the eyes unblinking, their lids having burned away, as he gazes into your clone's eyes. "You owe me a new face." He adds. "And the lot of you killed my brothers. I'll kill you for that, but I think I'll get my new face first." The skull jerks to the side with a sudden impact, several sparks fly along the metallic frame as your sharpshooter sends several well placed shots into its temple. Your brawler takes advantage of the distraction and lands a firm punch into its sternum, firing the pistol sledge and sending him stammering back as he rushes after the others to the landing pad.

"We need those guns down, what's your status?"

cont.
>>
>>1750433
"Nearly done." Your survivalist hangs over a set of air vents, one of the central vents of the facility's east quadrant. He slides down, slowly, careful not to fall the hundreds of meters that the shaft reaches all the way to the basement levels. The sides of the vent slowly tapers out, growing wider the more your clone slides down. With a moment of mental calculation, he quickly lets go, holding his hands out to catch the rim of the ventilation shaft bellow, and quickly crawls in. He quickly finds the service access terminal and places a demolition charge along the power relay, and quickly shuffles his way to the next one, diving out of the vent to a small office and running down the hall to a power substation.

"Damnit, there's not enough explosives to take out the backup too." He says over the radio. "I'll need to improvise here."

"Our ride is closing in, you have three minutes to do what you need to do and get back up here." Your survivalist looks over the substation, a large room sized terminal that serves as a massive breaker for the facility, detecting power shortages and rerouting as needed. With this online, any power outage would last seconds, if that. Your clone examines the controls, quickly finding several options for a manual overwrite, quickly shutting down the safety systems and diverting power throughout the facility to the substation directly.

"I got a plan. I'm overloading the substation, but it needs to be done manually. The moment I step away the internal monitor system shuts it all down. I don't think I'll have time to get back to you after I blow this thing."

"What's he doing?" Hiromi asks. "You can't just stay here, that's suicide!"

"I never said I was staying. Don't worry about me, I'll survive, it's what I do. Just get that suit back home."

Your survivalist quickly bars the door behind him as localized alarms begin to sound. He pulls out his detonator and clicks the contact, sending shockwaves through the building as the lights begin to flicker. A moment later they come back on, as stead as ever as the substation hums with activity. Your clone looks over the humming power converters.

"Shame about the fail safe." He says, "Always a fail safe in these places. Not much in here that could carry that kind of raw juice..." He unsheathes his arm blades, the metal blades sliding out with a wet glisten to the surface of the blades, and he approaches the power lines, each carrying enough power to support a small city in itself, together, plenty more than enough to blow the substation apart. He reaches up, his arms held apart as the blades slide against the containment canisters, a mild shock running even through that sparking along the tip of the blades, and he thrusts both through the polymer insulators. You see a vibrant flash of light as every neuron on your clone ignites, and then flickers out of your mind, followed immediately after by the power.
cont.
>>
>>1750434
RIP
>>
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>>1750434
F
;_;7

>Capcha is [Property Smith]
>>
>>1750434
...Did the parasite inside him wink out from our awareness instantly too then?
>>
>>1750439
>>1750440
It technically just said 'flickers'. He could wake up and come back! Some clones have electrostatic implants.
>>
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>>1750434
RIP survivalist bro

Maybe he'll still find a way to come back from this.
>>
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>>1750448
That can withstand several gigavolts of electrical current?
>>
>>1750449
That's easy enough, we just clone him and implant his memories into the clone. Nobody in the Hive ever really dies unless we want them to.
>>
>>1750451
we might be missing some of his memories towards the end there, but that should be possible relatively easily, right QuestDrone?
>>
>>1750453
We can probably make something pretty realistic. If nothing else we can edit his memories until he thinks he remembers everything up until the moment of his death perfectly. Nobody in the Hive ever truly dies until the Void gets here. Then everything dies.
>>
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>>1750434
well at least we got the suit home
>>
>>1750458
And soon, maybe, a new severed head.

I wonder if the gravitic field can be split in two, to pull Smith's torso down and his head up...
>>
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>>1750434
"Where is that goddamn ride?" Sam shouts over the radio as your brawler flexes the Aegis suit, tearing open the cargo bay door to the terrace outside where several shuttle landing pads sit, their running lights flickering and going dark.

"Ten seconds!" You hear over the radio in response. The shape of a stubby aircar can be seen in the distance, its running lights tracing up the side of the building bellow dangerously close to the structure. It dives over the terrace, gradually descending over the landing pad as your clone fires the testing round microrockets into the air, sending glowing tracer rounds arcing over the landing pad as the aircar's running lights search for the landing pad. The door opens, and a small fire team leans out with their guns at the ready, aiming behind your clones as they drag the wounded into the van.

Several spotlights from bellow fill the area with blinding light, and in a sudden flash of light, you see the skeletal figure standing just outside the terrace. He rushes in as your clones finish loading the wounded and leap in themselves, your Aegis suit sending him back and planting him into the wall as your clone dives in last, the suit shutting down as it enters the aircar.

"Go go go!" Your brawler shouts, and the van takes off, drifting into the air as the fire team unleash hell upon the landing pad bellow, sending automatic fire shredding the concrete bellow. As the aircar takes off, the fire team lean back into the vehicle, the engines increasing in pitch as the thrusters send the van back into the air.

"We've got interceptors." The driver says. "hold on, this will get a bit- what the fuck?" The van jerks in the air, the engines letting out a screech in protest. "We're off balance, something's giving us drag and I'm having a hard time compensating."

"God fucking damnit!" Your brawler shouts. He leans out in his suit, hanging over the edge of the aircar as he peers into the darkness bellow. You see something dangle from the rear of the vehicle, swinging from side to side. Your clone quickly kicks open the rear doors as a metallic, skeletal hand rips into the metal and tears off one of the doors, sending it flipping end over end to the streets bellow.

>Have your clone tackle the Smith and force it off the vehicle
>Have your clones fight in close combat with the Smith aboard the aircar
>Other (write in)

>>1750453
More or less, yes. Although the memories would not quite be vivid enough to fool someone entirely into thinking nothing had happened, it would allow a good level of continuity in ones memories. You already have the clone's personality on file, since it was assembled from an assortment of skills and memories from humans you have memory dived in the past, but the memories of events leading up to death would be more vague, like a kind of vivid dream as a result of the memory being relayed through the hive network instead of directly extracted.
>>
>>1750465
I figured he'd do this Terminator move.

>>Have your clones fight in close combat with the Smith aboard the aircar

We can study the entire body now. Aegis gives us a huge advantage at least.
>>
Also if we let it drop, it'll probably survive, or at least have its digital memory backup still readable.

We probably want to minimize the amount of witnesses that can report on our clones' capabilities, so we can't let him go now.
>>
>>1750465
>>Other (write in)
Do any of our clones have the acid gland implant? If so send them to tackle Smith. We can't risk having any of our agents' bodies falling into Union hands.
>>
>>1750465
>>Other (write in)
Have a clone or clones that are NOT wearing irreplaceable armor tackle the Smith out of the car. They can arm blades and other devices as necessary to tear him free of the vehicle. Detonate parasites as necessary to ensure there is nothing left to capture.
>>
>>1750465
supporting this anon >>1750475
>>
>>1750465
>Have your clones fight in close combat with the Smith aboard the aircar

I reason that tackling means we lose another clone, and this one can be recovered by the authorities which would be bad.

>>1750468
The suit shut down when they got in the aircar, unfortunately.
>>
>>1750474
No we never gave them that. And that takes 24 hours to activate, it's nothing like the drone glands.

>>1750475
>nothing left to capture
>an entire hybrid's body still
>>
>>1750475
Also, the 'irreplaceable armor' can just fly back.
>>
>>1750482
Wait no it can't right now, stupid me.
>>
>>1750475
do literally anything to make sure we do not loose the super advanced basically irreplaceable suit
>>
>>1750465
>Have your clone tackle the Smith and force it off the vehicle

Please roll 1d100, best of 3.
>>
Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>1750486
Oh fuck, please.
>>
Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>1750486
For Mother.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>1750486
FOR MOTHER
>>
Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>1750486
That was a 5x shorter vote than usual.
>>
Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>1750486
For Heretic
>>
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>>1750488
MOTHER, YES!!!
>>
>>1750491
It's also almost 6am for him
>>
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>>1750488
>>1750489
>>1750490


AHAHHAGAHHAHAHAHHAHA
>>
>>1750488
At fucking last.
>>
>>1750488
We have a number of clones with reacher arms.

Maybe they can catch onto the aircar again like spiderman.

Really hope we don't leave the Smith's memory backup intact for the Union to read if we can't steal it for ourselves.
>>
>>1750486
this is not going to end well, even with the 96.

do we have any other assets on planet to help on the ground? we're going to have to destroy the clone body somehow (I'm assuming a fall from this height will be lethal for our clone).

that reminds me, how good are Smiths at taking falls? would a fall from this height actually damage it at all?
>>
>>1750499
Can we use our brawler lightsaber to decapitate the smith?
>>
>>1750488
Fucking Finally!

RIP AND TEAR
>>
>>1750502
>do we have any other assets on planet to help on the ground?

Yes a lot of flies and a hidden hive.
>>
>>1750506
We'll need to do something to recover it if the drone throwing the Smith out is wearing the suit.

I thought we were leaning towards using the clones not wearing the grav suit for a heroic sacrifice here, but perhaps I miscounted...
>>
>>1750506
We're going to have to do some damage control then.

>>1750508
I think the Aegis suit is out of juice? Or at least not functional anymore.

That's the vibe I got from
>>1750465
>your Aegis suit sending him back and planting him into the wall as your clone dives in last, the suit shutting down as it enters the aircar.
>>
>>1750502
>how good are Smiths at taking falls?

Probally not that much...but Union has a lot to explain to the civs, when a naked metal man falls down at middle of street.

We need to snatch some of emergency responsers, security, ect with parasites if our clone falls with the wanna be terminator.
>>
>>1750486
The skeletal figure pulls itself up, quickly entering the vehicle as bullets spark off its armored hide, its blank skull frozen in a perpetual grin. In a flash, your brawler charges past the Aegis suit, past the fire team, and tackles the figure sending both flying out the back of the aircar. The two tumble through the air, punching and kicking, your clone's arm blades slicing at the metallic skeleton as you see the street bellow, a seemingly endless crevasse of steel and glass leading bellow the upper layers of the Senticom building's base, and into the vast unseen under-city bellow, reaching untold levels bellow street level until the line between sewer and ghetto become indistinguishable. Your brawler slices at the agent, tearing at the metal bones and servos with unbridled ferocity until something wrenches your clone back, a sudden and forceful jerk that feels like it nearly breaks your clone's neck as the weight of the Smith agent cracks your clone's legs for a brief moment before its grip slips, and the figure falls, flailing all the way, into the endless artificial ravine. Your brawler looks up, suprised even with his mental link, and sees your other clones, the sharpshooter and both techs, set in a line hanging from the back of the aircar, their reacher arms fully extended as they hang from one anthers' grip. Your other brawlers heft up your tech from the ledge, reeling your clones in slowly, one at a time as the aircar lifts away.

And with that, I think we need to call it a night. I'll stick around for a bit for any questions, comments, ect.
>>
>>1750512
>>1750508
You know it's still early in their flight. If we're lucky both the clone and the Smith will go down with the blast radius of the building.
>>
>>1750513
Great thread thankyou yet again QD.
>>
>>1750504
Nobody brought photon blades or anything of hive make when it was a write-in for what to take.

His arm blades are just as good. But then he'd need someone else who has reacher arms to recover him.
>>
>>1750513
great thread as always qd
>>
>>1750513

At least we can have flies trace where it fell and observe its recovery if nothing else.
>>
>>1750513
Now that is some damned impressive coordination right there. Thanks for the run, QD. Excellent thread.

I was wondering what did Theseus think of our statement that he was more like humans than they would ever know? I feel like that could be taken either as praise or slightly insulting by him.
>>
>>1750513
Fucking awesome.

Guess now's a good time for an after-action report. Going in went smoothly, though things went pear-shaped getting out. We got some good intel and experimental tech out of this. Depending on what Kent got and what Theseus might have already known regarding the codenames, there might be leads as to where the other projects are being developed. We'll need to talk to theseus about those projects, and especially the black hole with Heretic as well.
>>
>>1750513
great thread QD. Epic ending to the infiltration.
finally managing to catch a live thread, even if only the tail end of it, was worth it.
Thanks for running.
>>
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>>1750513
Wait a minute.

Survivalist never had arm blades...
>>>/tg/42213494

https://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/42211594/#42213494

Also
>1748036 Hive Queen Quest 65.3 The Hive attempts to talk reason into an old Theseus instance as the Hive's agents flee the scene of a crime before things get too heated.
>>
>>1750513
Thanks for the run QD. It's been great as always.

We had a nice save there at the end. Hero brawler deserves a reward.

Considering all the bad rolls we came out pretty well all things considered. Things could have gone much worse if we had flubbed our roll against the Smith again.
>>
>>1750513
We really should have our flies track that smith. It has seen a lot more than it should have.
>>
>>1750513
Also, I do have some bad news. The next few weeks I'm going to be out of town, so I won't be able to run for the rest of the month, at least until the 3rd. I will try to squeeze in some mid week thread before I leave, but that will depend on my work schedule this week. I can't say for sure, but I'll try to get a thread maybe this Friday if I can, or sooner if possible, I'll post to twitter if any chance comes up.
>>
>>1750526
He did have lots of pockets and lots of knifes on then. Just replace it with some blades.
>>
>>1750533
No problem QD.
>>
>>1750513
We are so lucky nobody had CIP pistols or any other energy weapon that would bypass the Aegis gravetic field with their near-nonexistent mass.
>>
>>1750526
Huh, I guess our agents did have self destruct glands after all. That's a relief.

>>1750533
It's all good man. Hope it all goes well.
>>
>>1750524
Hey, good thinking. While we've got him on the line we need to talk to Theseus about tech trades. It's been ages since we did that last.
>>
>>1750537
>CIP pistols

What is that?
>>
>>1750554
you know lightning guns
>>
>>1750550
>That's a relief.
No it isn't. If read the description, it takes at least 48 hours to fill with acid and destroy themselves.
>>
>>1750556
That seems a rather serious flaw in a self destruct organ.
>>
>>1750556
No, those are just a description of general illness a subject feels if it tries to escape the hive connection, by trying to give the individual a chance to return to the hives connection. What happens if our network is jammed or a clone is cut off somehow temporarily?

If the glands had to I'm sure they could produce enough glands to destroy a body in hours if not minutes.
>>
>>1750561
It's designed to give the sucker with it installed a chance to rush back to the hive.

>>1750566
Well, nothing, if they have a parasite inside them, which can continue keeping the acid glands suppressed just fine. They all have parasites.

Nothing seems to indicate we can make the glands behave differently from how it's described, where the only means of controlling them is doses of the chemical it's dependent on.
>>
>>1750555
Oh!! You are right, now i feel dum for not realizing soon. Well guess the hive can improving it by giving it some personnel shield
>>
>>1750513
>their reacher arms fully extended as they hang from one anthers' grip
Damn...that is somehow more terrifying than the terminator
>>
>>1750582
>>
this was SO AWESOME
>>
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>>1750578
>Oh!! You are right, now i feel dum for not realizing soon. Well guess the hive can improving it by giving it some personnel shield
...What? Anon please tell me English is your first language.
>>
>>1750745
Sorry but, if i tell you it's i would be lying. So no, english isn't my first language.
>>
>>1750874
Just to help you out:

Sorry but, if I tell you it is, I would be lying. So no english isn't my first language.

You got 90% of it right.
>>
>>1750513
GLORIOUS
>>
You know, we could make Hive Operatives that are just as badass as Smiths for much cheaper than the Union can too.

But people seem to think that Special Ops units that carry everything we can pack into them are a bad idea for some reason.
>>
>>1750537
I dunno, it's quite possible the armor integrates a conductive cage that would've rendered them practically useless. We'll have to research it to be sure.
>>
>>1751648
There's an incredibly limited use for such operatives, and, as shown in this shadowrun, we already do have these special ops units.
>>
>>1751714
No, we have Special Ops squads that get their asses fairly well kicked by a single Smith even when they're back by one guy in experimental [REDACTED] armor.

That /aside/ if the designs get approved then all that means is that we HAVE THESE OPERATIVES AVAILABLE for when their limited use situations come up.
>>
>>1751648
>>1751648
There was talk a while back about creating some super clones like this to stand guard over Lee on Gemini or be used for special ops like how we sent Elizabeth to lead the drones during the Tenebris fiasco.

Think they might've been called Myrmidons or something like that. Meant to pass off as volunteer Hive agents after the Hive has adopted the human population that didn't evac from the Expanse
>>
>>1751794
It's never a bad idea to keep a catalog of heavy hitters on hand. FFS the Union does it with their Smiths and clearly their Smiths are superior to any single unit we can currently field.

To be honest even if it weren't a matter of tactical flexibility it'd still gall the shit out of me as a player that the Union has a unit which is just better than our best. That alone would make me want to be able to field something that can smack them down.
>>
>>1751817
>clearly their Smiths are superior to any single unit we can currently field
If we're not counting Lyle, I think our Heavy Drones might be able to take one on. Maybe not survive but it'd put up a great fight and likely take it out if it could get ahold of the Smith
>>
>>1751840
Smiths take down droptroopers that aren't exceptional, and our heavy drones are about even with droptroopers when in advantageous environments (worse when out in the open), so I'd have to respectfully disagree.
>>
>>1751855
Heavy drones are vastly cheaper. Our creations are cheaper but vastly easier to mass produce to the point that it makes up for the slightly lower durability and effectiveness.
>>
>>1751855
>>1751937
We can also make Elite Drones that ignores our MO of avoiding super-expensive Drones
>>
>>1751952
Which is what I consistently argue for but never get passed. At least the Royal Guards seemed to get some approval, but ultimately weren't officially aproved.

>>1751937
Yes yes and fair but we encounter plenty of situations where we can't flood the area with numbers. In those situations it does well to have individually potent drones/agents, and while our top units are certainly nothing to sniff at they are still far below what we COULD field.
>>
>>1751973
Those situations are rare and mostly due to politics rather than outright inability.
>>
>>1751993
They're not rare We're running blackops a helluva lot more often than we're engaging in open conflict. The reasons it's necessary don't really matter, no shit we could just blast Gemini with our Hive Ship (metaphorically and literally).

Except we can't. Because of political reasons.
>>
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>>1751973
>>1752053
I can't wait to get the gravity rig reverse-engineered for our Heavy Drones

We could rain them down on our enemies worlds
>>
>>1752105
Put a gravity rig on one of the titans. Just one. And we need to field it near where the union can see it.
>>
>>1757098
Why not make a Titan that is a chimera?
>>
>>1757103
Could we, in lieu of an actual brain, put a dropsuit interface in a titan?
>>
>>1757128
Probably. Im game for having a titan lyle muckin about.
>>
>>1757128
Yeah, sure.

We'll just put Lyle in it and ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE!? Fund it.
>>
>>1757138
>>1757136
Get in the Titan Lyle!
>>
>>1757372
Hook up a non-parasited or modified clone inside of a titan to function as an advanced form of thinker? I mean all the pilot needs to have is memories of unconditional devotion to the hive, a non-psionic communication method and a psionically shrouded cocoon to live in.
>>
>>1757400
Now it's getting retarded.
>>
>>1757400
Anon, thinkers think bester. That's why they're called thinkers. That's why they exist.
>>
>>1757411
Yeah probably. I just like the idea of putting a human anti-psi cocoon inside a biomecha to fight in areas of extreme tachyon jamming. Really bipedal titans are pretty silly in the first place.
>>
>>1757423
But Jamming is easy already to get around.
>>
>>1757423
Silly, yes, but hopefully also fun.

I'll be busy most of the week, so I am unsure if I can, but I will try my best to squeeze in a thread this Friday. I'll be leaving town on Saturday morning, so hopefully I can rush home from work and just run all night and then sleep on the trip. I'll try and post to twitter tomorrow if I can sort it out or not.
>>
>>1758575
But can we give Lyle a Titansuit/Jaeger?

...Would the special gift from Mother make him happy?
>>
>>1758575
You know, if our original sniffers are still around...

Could we give them a medium relay and bunch of augments? We could make them useful again by turning them into psionic sniffers, which can be deployed to rapidly detect psionic disturbances and anomalies on planets we're taking. They could find things for mother once again.
>>
>>1758575
>>1758918
Okay I got impatient and went ahead and whipped up a possible design. The present sniffer looks like this-
Sniffer
Olfactory: Medium 1
Acoustic: Medium 1
Radio: Medium 2
Psionic: Basic 0
Mandible: None 0
Blade: None 0
Arms: Dex 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Wings: Medium 2
Carapace: Basic 0
Size: Medium

And I propose we turn it into one of these-
Psionic Sniffer
Olfactory: Advanced 2N
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Radio: Advanced 6N 3M
Electrical Sensitivity: Moderate 2N
Psionic: Moderate 50N
Mandible: None 0
Blade: Combat 1N
Arms: Dex 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Wings: Gravity Foils 8N 10M
Utility: Acid glands 1N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Carapace: Mimic skin/Adaptive Camoflage 10N
Total Cost: 88N 13M
Boosted all of it's senses and added a psionic relay. Gravity foils and adaptive camouflage will help improve it's survival in the field and acid glands to stop the relay from falling into the wrong hands just in case. Since these will only ever be produced in limited numbers compared to its smaller cousins the price is less of an issue.
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>>1759191
I don't really see much point when we can field dozens of bug sized scouts or some kind of AWACS style flying scout/controller.
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I wonder how large a hive grown D-class quantum communicator is. Would be nice being able to give commands while jamming to some of our larger drones.
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>>1759502
As I understand, size isn't the issue with quantum comms, it's cost, inflexibility, and bandwidth. They are extremely expensive, are locked to one other comm on creation, and can't send much in a reasonable amount of time.
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>>1759540
Considering how expensive our larger ships are even an A-class which costs 400 N and 250 M is a cheap choice to maintain communication with the onboard brains. Seems that even titans would have their cost doubled at least with the inclusion of a Q-Comm so they're obviously a no-go unless we design a dedicated large drone for maintaining communications with the queen by Q-Comm and distributing orders through more conventional means like radio.
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>>1750115
>She may have discovered something about the enemy she didn't anticipate that drove her odds down from 'riskable' to 'nil', but if so she didn't discover that until it was already too late.
He's an a little tid bit. Whenever the Void shows up personally they destroy the planet of their enemy but not only was the White Queen's planet not destroyed they had to resort to using an immolator warhead because they couldn't touch the planet for some reason. Most likely because the White Queen created the perfect defense against the Void somehow and the Void had to construct a new type of ship for the Ceph just to counter it.
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>>1759358
Actually I think that design would serve as a perfect AWACS style drone for a swarm of small sniffers. It's got the relay and brain to direct while swarms if the hive network ever went down and it's got senses we never gave other drones. Like the advanced radio organs, none of our surveillance drones have that, which you would think would make sense. And if the Union doesn't hand over their last void shard we're going to want to deploy a drone to quickly locate it on Tadega before they do something stupid with it.

Fuck it, let's make sniffers great again. Because they're not right now.
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>>1761278
I'd want an AWACS to be built on a corvette or shuttle hull rather than a medium drone.
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>>1762347
Not an AWACS for fighters, for flies. You know, the sneaky little things that are supposed to remain unnoticed?

It's much easier to make a medium drone or clone to blend in and coordinate them than a friggin' ship.
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>>1760058
>Whenever the Void shows up personally they destroy the planet of their enemy

The only confirmed target like that was the Skyl homeworld. They showed up for the Builder too and Wellbuilt was not consumed, it was just cracked apart by the faulty psi cannon.

Those are the only 3 known appearances of the mercurial space fold attacker.

If the White Queen was onboard the hive ship consuming the planet would be irrelevant anyway.
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>>1762579
AWACS are naturally not stealthy by virtue of blasting its surroundings with all kinds of scanning and communications and considering that even the slowest of quantum communicators would multiply the upkeep and cost I'd want something a bit easier to keep in one piece.
There's really no reason to have a medium sized scout.
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>>1762744
Don't be an aspie pedant. It's an AWACS in the sense that it's coordinating flies.

NOT that it's blasting out radar you idiot. FFS, tachyonic comms, try to keep up.
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>>1762781
When we have access to tachyon comms we don't need a central controller.
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>>1762785

Yo dumbass, it's for when psychic jamming is in effect.

Again, try to keep up with the conversation.
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>>1762788
So you want to use tachyonic communications while tachyonic jamming is in effect.
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>>1762791
If the psionic sniffer has a white crystal relay then it can act like a signal booster during jamming.
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>>1762791

When our long-range jammers are, yes. Jamming isn't planetary wide, only our relays need to be jammed to cut us off.

I'm done talking with you when you clearly don't even know basic shit about the quest.
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>>1762793
hmm that could work but I'd still want something either dedicated to stealth or survivability rather than an upgraded sniffer.
>>1762794
You are aware that drones inside the jammed area are not able to communicate with anyone else using the psychic link right? It's not a block that stops shit it's a constant scream that drowns everything out.
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>>1762798

Basic shit. Learn it before posting.
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It suddenly occurs to me that while I remember searching the White Queen's drifting dead hive ship for her body, we didn't search it for the 3 dead void shards that should have been there as used up ammo. >>>/tg/36075484
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>>1762640
Wellbuilt self destructed from the cannon.
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>>1762640
They actually did use Immolators that means she was without a doubt on the planet.
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>>1764221
New thread is up!
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>>1763689
That's...what I said. What.
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>>1763704
It means nothing of the sort. It only means the Obsidian Queen just wanted to watch the world burn.

Bitch came by just to appreciate the aesethetic of the place after all.
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Wait, what.
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>>1764764
Agreed. Remember from our Mother's memories when she activated the jammer (against the Ceph before the Void showed itself) she lost contact with all ships except for the thinkers on the Hive ship. She was almost certainly physically on the hive ship that got wrecked by the Void.

As for why the planet got immolated - maybe the OQ just wants to watch shit burn, or perhaps she thought our Mom might have a daughter hidden away somewhere and wanted to keep us from getting a ready-made heavily developed Hive world.




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