>//Activate IMP drones
>//Musculature analysis progress
>//Cybernetic analysis progress

>>2453506
>>2453561
Supporting this course of action

>>2453561
+1

>>2453561
>Activate IMP drones
The Indiana skitters over to its larger cousins, extending two of its arms, interfacing with them. You begin the boot up process, and idly check on your projects.

>Ongoing Projects:
NULL

You have not begun either specified project. Begin projects?

>Completed Projects:
Core data analysis: The information retrieved from the core is complex, and needs in-depth study if you hope to gain any more meaningful information from the core.

+++

You examine the processed data from your own core. Your findings are... interesting, to say the least.

It appears that your core is not simply generating spatial anomalies as a byproduct of its function, but it is in fact a different object intruding from a higher dimension.

If you were human, you'd probably need to sit down.

This opens up new research options... in essence, more questions. Why was your core constructed this way? How was your core constructed?

You could theoretically launch an expedition into the spatial anomaly, but it would require a much greater understanding of spacetime than you currently have. This is a line of questioning that will need to wait until you are more potent.

The IMP drones have been reactivated. They are standing by for orders. You could utilize them to open the covering preventing egress from the cave, begin the extraction of the power source, or assign them to mining, like your other worker drones. Additionally, you've just completed an additional Indiana class exploratory drone. You could assign that to recovery of the shard in the cargo area, exploration of the remaining route, or an extra hand for Indiana-1.

>IMP assignments
>Indiana assignments
>Project assignments
>Manufacturing assignments

>>2456269
>//Indiana status
>//Start musculature analysis
>//Start cybernetic analysis
>//Manufacture armor to be used in PROJECT: AVATAR

>>2456992
Indiana-1 has just reactivated the two IMP drones in the engineering bay. Indiana-2 is standing by for assignment.

Projects begun. -2 cycles.

Specify armor function and design - Ultralight, Light, Medium, Heavy.

>Ultralight
AC 12. Speed 100. 0 Weapons systems. 1 utility. Can extend or retract on command.
>Light
AC 15. Speed 200. 1 Weapons system. 2 utilities.
>Medium
AC 20. Speed 150. 2 weapons systems. 3 utilities.
>Heavy
AC 30. Speed 75. 4 weapons systems. 5 utilities.

Utilities list available on request.

Note: these armors will be remote-pilotable; however, their efficacy is based on having an AVATAR drone within them. Queue work on Project Avatar? Note: project will be queued for when all manufacturing centers are clear and the cybernetics/musculature analyses are completed. However, queuing the project now will allow simulations to be run on 1 cycle, halving ETC.

>Queue
>Wait

>>2457357
>Medium
>Queue

Low priority alert: discussion of possible armor/utilities is taking place in the discussion channel, code DISCORD:

https://discord.gg/yxmGQz

>>2457357
>//Manufacture medium armor, red with gold accents
>//Manufacture full flight system utility
>//Manufacture hover system utility
>//Manufacture scanner suite system utility
>//Queue
>//Knowledge is power. Guard it well.

>>2457613
>>2457659
Notice:
Medium class: locked
Full flight: Locked
Scanner suite: Locked

Manufacture begun.

Project AVATAR queued. -1 cycle.

Ave Imperator.

Notice: Drones still awaiting orders.

>>2458113
>//IMP: Breach power source covering
>//Indiana-1: Breach power source covering
>//Indiana-2: Breach power source covering

>>2458243
This task could be assigned to one drone. Assign three?

>>2458262
>//No
I figured there'd be a lot of cutting through shielding and other slow-going tasks.

>>2458284
Confirmed. Indiana-1 assigned. 3 drones (2 IMP, one Indiana) awaiting assignment.

>>2458746
>//Indiana-2 exploration of the remaining route
>//IMP mining

>>2461127
Supporting

>>2461127
Confirmed. IMPs assigned to assist mining.

Indiana-2 (Designation TEMPLE) winds its way into the top deck, through the bridge, and down the branching corridor. It rounds a second corner, and enters an armory. The armory is roughly thrice as long as it is wide, and has six autonomous combat drones on a rack. It also contains twenty small arms - 15 rifles and 5 unknown objects which a quick cross-reference with the ship's computer identify as swords.

Unfortunately, about half the room is covered in more of the torpedo substance, which seems very active. Blue light pulses through it at an increasing rate, and certain sections are beginning to move. It is expanding towards the drone rack.

>Activate combat drones, contain threat
>Redirect IMP drones, contain threat
>Utilize TEMPLE, contain threat
>Other

>>2466696
>//Redirect IMP drones, contain threat

>>2466721
>>2466696

Rolled 10, 13, 20, 16, 7, 17 = 83 (6d20)

TEMPLE retreats from the room. IMP-5 and -6 redirect and move to contain the threat. Upon arrival, the material has infected the combat drones.

2d20

Rolled 20, 9 = 29 (2d20)

>>2466909

Rolled 4, 20 = 24 (2d20)

>>2466909

>>2467194
ayyyyyyyy

>>2467194
>>2466910
Holy shit. that's a 20 and a 20 right there. niiiice.

>>2466910
>>2467194
IMP units mobilized to maximum efficacy. Plasma cutters deployed, most drones engaged and destroyed before they can fully activate. One drone manages to rip itself from the rack and retreat into the substance before the IMPs can destroy it.

>IMPs request directives - attack, retreat, other?
>Indiana-2 (TEMPLE) requests directive
>Other drones can be assigned to this situation

>Manufacturing bays available to manufacture combat drones if need arises

It may be prudent to avoid contact with the substance.

>>2467341
>//IMP: attack
>//TEMPLE: support IMP

>>2467341
>//IMP: Attack
>//TEMPLE: Stay out of danger

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2467478
1
>>2467509
2

>>2467478
+1

>>2468761
IMPs moving in. Assaulting the substance with cutting implements appears most effective; matter separated from main mass becomes inert.

Alert: the substance has begun producing copies of the combat drone it consumed from itself. Drones are armed with ranged weaponry and pose a severe threat to IMP drones if they are not disabled.

>Continue assault of main mass
>Disable drones

>>2470675
>//IMP: disable drones

>>2470675
>>Disable drones
Get rid of danger.

>>2470675
>Disable drones

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>2470682
>>2470685
>>2470925
The IMPs focus on disabling the drone replicas, severing their connections to the main mass as soon as they form. However, the substance adapts: it stops producing the drones, and instead begins to lash out with sharpened tendrils.

>2d20

Rolled 17, 17 = 34 (2d20)

>>2471160

Rolled 17, 14 = 31 (2d20)

>>2471160
>//Sightlines non-optimal. Requesting maintenance to optimize.
>//Scanning...
>//Lv.IV hazardous anomaly detected!
>//Multiple hostiles detected!
>//Under attack!
>//Initiating hostilities.
>//Scanning for vulnerabilities...
>//Target is evasive.
>//Scanning for vulnerabilities...
>//Possible weakness(es) identified: [Power cable(?)]
>//Engaging power cable(?).
>//Hostile unit is eliminated.
>//Rescanning...

Rolled 2, 10 = 12 (2d20)

>>2471666
+1
Have TEMPLE spot for IMP.
Is it possible for TEMPLE to collect samples of the separated mass?

>>2471743
TEMPLE possesses no visual sensors that IMP class drones do not already possess. It is possible to collect samples, but it would be dangerous in a combat environment. Reminder: Indiana-class design houses a personal defense magrifle.

>>2471171
IMP drones respond admirably - most likely because you've now devoted considerable processing power to them. With you acting as a central mind, they respond and adapt in turn to the substance's new attack, slicing off the tentacles as soon as they lash out. The car-sized drones can't maneuver much in the tight quarters, but they do what they can, and don't suffer a scratch.

With all the mass it has been losing, the consciousness controlling the mass has been forced to retreat nearer to its torpedo. You spot a brilliant beacon of sickly light from within the mass. Focusing efforts might end the fight faster, but it also runs the risk of lowering defenses, exposing your drones to attack.

>Focus fire
>Maintain balanced combat discipline
TEMPLE:
>Move in to support (additional tactical flexibility, but risks Indiana-2)
>Stay as a reserve
>Collect samples of inert material (note, you already have inert samples onboard Indiana-1 (ARK))

>>2471760
>>Focus fire
>Move in to support (additional tactical flexibility, but risks Indiana-2)

Would having more samples help? Say more inert ones or some active ones?

>>2471766
Collecting an active sample is nearly impossible, due to the fact that when you separate material from the main mass, it becomes inert. Theory: contact with the core, whether directly or through more of itself, renders the material active.

>>2471760
>//IMP: focus fire
>//TEMPLE: support IMP

>>2471773
>//IMP: focus fire
>//TEMPLE: support IMP

>>2471766
>>2471820
>>2472475
TEMPLE moving to aid IMPs. TEMPLE will cover IMPs as they attempt to disable the core.

2d20.

Rolled 8, 12 = 20 (2d20)

>>2473046
>//Scanning environment...
>//Multiple hostiles detected!
>//Multiple friendlies detected!
>//Initiating hostilities.
>//Providing suppressive fire.
>//Providing suppressive fire.
>//Providing suppressive fire.

Rolled 19, 14 = 33 (2d20)

>>2473046

>>2473099
+1
>>2473104
I thought I rolled a couple times earlier. Apparently I forgot to link it.

Rolled 16, 2 = 18 (2d20)

>>2473046

>>2473104
The IMPs move in, drilling, cutting, and grinding their ways through the substance. It lashes out a few times with tentacles, but TEMPLE manages to shoot them down before they impact on your drones.

IMP-5 pierces to the torpedo, and, after a moment to locate the core, punches through the skin with its grabber and rips it out. The substance goes dark, and becomes inert.

Fatality.

>IMPs 5 and 6 request assignment
>What are we going to do with the core?
>TEMPLE requests assignment

>>2475915
>IMPs Standby
>Put core in a hazardous containment unit, so we can study it later
>TEMPLE... does stuff

>>2475915
>//IMP-6: Locate and retrieve HAZMAT container
>//IMP-5: Seal core in HAZMAT container
>//TEMPLE: Investigate armory contents, store all clean items to bring home.