>>2786740

As it stands, you've left the Major to his own devices. You wish him luck in however he decides to handle himself, since of course, you were dealing with an "entirely real" maintenance crisis, and did not have attention to spare on doing Internal's job for them.

He thanks you for the mild succor, gives you a salute and walks off towards the bridge, stripping his jacket and folding it over his shoulder. It’s a simple enough trick: hides your name tag and buys some time until someone recognizes you by face or you cross a checkpoint. Pity it only works for officers: you couldn’t walk six meters before an stalking lieutenant would fall out of the sky to pull you for uniform regs.

You take stock of the situation: You’re a little stuck at the moment from your little trick. You’ve got at least an hour before you can “stumble across” the problem and avoid the incredibly unsubtle “We had a critical error until the brass fucked off.” Report.

>Pack it in and clean up: You’re a mess, your uniform is a mess, this whole god damn thing is a mess… You need to refresh and clean off a bit of the stress sweat. Talk it over as well so everyone’s on the same page.
>Live the lie: Don’t let a good alibi go to waste. Get some coffee and go to work. You’ll get some quality work done on the machines and keep out of any shitstorm brewing outside your little bubble of red tape.
>Fudge the report: Someone would have to dig a bit to find out about the little stunt, so dropping it is safe enough. Clear the error and cancel any pending work calls, then move on.
>Call out: You don’t have the time to wait for your own BS: Alex is outside and can do most anything you’d want or need.
>Write in?

For the last two options, a second option is presented.
>Contact Hawke: It’s unsubtle, but informing her immediately might be the play. Might be risky.
>Leverage Alex: She’s the only one of your group that might have the clout to do something about the situation without going below the board. Likely safe.
>Smokescreen for Hershman: A “well-intentioned” tip in the wrong place could throw off the hounds. If he’s got business before he gives up, it’ll keep him covered. If he’s running, it’ll give him a head start. Not as risky as you’d expect: manhunting a VC bureaucrat is always chaos.
>Make some noise: Make a junk call at the comms center loaded down with some keywords and see who turns up . Not a risk: a PROMISE of trouble: but also a damn quick way to get to the bottom of things.
>Write in?

>>2786741
>>Live the lie: Don’t let a good alibi go to waste. Get some coffee and go to work. You’ll get some quality work done on the machines and keep out of any shitstorm brewing outside your little bubble of red tape.

>>2786741
>>Live the lie: Don’t let a good alibi go to waste. Get some coffee and go to work. You’ll get some quality work done on the machines and keep out of any shitstorm brewing outside your little bubble of red tape.
Our stuff isn't in the greatest shape. Might as well take the opportunity to fix it up.

>>2786740
>Live the lie: Don’t let a good alibi go to waste. Get some coffee and go to work. You’ll get some quality work done on the machines and keep out of any shitstorm brewing outside your little bubble of red tape.

How bad could it be?

>>2786755
>>2786771
>>2786811

>"There is absolutely nothing out there I want to stick my nose into. If something comes back to me, I'll deal with it on my terms with my tools."

Writing

>>2786890

You mull it over for a moment before deciding to stay out of it: You’re a glorified mechanic, and you aren’t going to play amateur spy just because people keep playing their games around you. You’ll stick with what you know.

You walk back to the barracks and duck in just long enough to trade to a whole and un-blackened suit. From the sound of the running water, you assume Durga was taking advantage of your excuse.

Lis is clothed, sitting outside the washroom with damp hair, holding a towel and a spare suit you guess she pilfered from Jennings: Lis’s wardrobe likely lacked the necessary stature for the Knight pilot. You cock your head towards the showers and Lis gives you a disapproving look.

You groan, “Time Lis. I’m trading suits. Do I have time?”

She goes red. Her mind clearly was elsewhere. “Go on. I went first since she said she needed time to get out of her gear.”

You’re already half stripped by the time she justifies it. You’re relieved to find your damaged suit comes away easily without major sticking, all the major damage was neatly covered in burn film. It goes a little further down your leg than you’re entirely comfortable with, but the fit is perfect and the trim professional. You have little difficulty with the locker room hustle, and are in a fresh, and more importantly whole suit in no time.

“Our problem left; Wouldn’t you know it, just a lil’ mistake.” You zip back up, glad to feel the flexibility of the undamaged fiber.

“You sure about that; That’s a pretty big mistake.”

“Not really sure, but I’m leaving that one for the guys in Berlin. We’re stuck on the clock for the next hour, so stay put. I’m going to see if I can get Ten’s people to send me over an “collectable” to fix up 1.”

She smiles at the reference. The instructors at AIT used the term. The meaning was simple: Non-functioning machines were collectables, because “they aren’t worth anything when they’re out of the box.”

“What about Durga? Does Jennings need any help?” She glances out of one of the modest windows.

“He’s got it already, he’s just going to twiddle his thumbs a bit and call me back over to flip the switch and sign the sheet.” You shrug, “If it was serious, you wouldn’t have gotten your shower. We’re still maintaining a Knight here Lis.”

She glances down at the clothes in her hands.

“And the pilot too Lis. She’s doing good work.”

“I know; She wasn’t all that bad when you keeled over.” She raises an eyebrow at you. “Seems Alex getting her blood up reminded her she’s an officer somewhere in there.”

“Knew you’d come around. She’s pretty nice when she’s not gun happy.”

“It’s a bit more endearing when she’s not firing the things. We had some time to talk. Maybe a bit obsessed, but we had those kinds in training too.”

You hear the water stop. Lis shoos you, and you make your exit quickly.

>>2787215

You’re surprised at 01’s condition in general. The composite armor didn’t block anything of the ADS radiation, but the shoddy conduit between compartments was a fortuitous circumstance: The parts were wrecked, but the connections between them were relatively sound, shielded by the cheap metal. It was far more trade outs than the more comprehensive overhaul you anticipated.

You had the cameras back up in twenty minutes and got the right locking clamp open with a pair of new fuses and a stiff strike with a sledge. The remains of the sensor package falls free, a majority of it crumpling under its own weight on impact, leaving little but the mounting plate whole. You pry it off the surface and roll it up against the leg: You’ll just write it off at this point.

You’re in the cockpit, draining the residual water and cursing whoever put the air filters under the seats when you get to thinking about the sortie. You didn’t have the time or the focus to examine the material under during the mission, but you likely had the entire mission log backed up here, since you were piggy backing off of the system.

You watch the slow trickle of the solitary drain for what feels like a hour before curiosity overpowers patience. The interface cheerfully informs you its last boot time, shattering any delusions of self-control: it hadn’t been a whole minute.

You page through slowly, filtering out expected and normal actions. You also spare yourself the damage report from the Cicada encounter, not before the thought makes your skin itch.

A ping hits the top of the stack from Tennhauser’s people, sending over their parts Magd and driving you all the way to the top of the list again. You resist the urge to hit the monitor: the offending router was encased in the armor and would have to bear your resentment in more ethereal ways.

Once you’ve effectively filtered everything you know, you’re left with little but Durga’s communications protocols and a few corrupted entries. They pique your interest with their proximity; sharing split millisecond timings.

You smile wearily: You may have little skill in toying with people and Durga’s computers are obscure and confusing, but this is your domain, and you risk and waste nothing here.

You can take it as a break, waiting for the parts from Ten’s unit… and for the damn water still ruining your boot polish to drain.

> Source: They came from somewhere.
>Content: Even if they’re busted, you might be able to pick up something.
>Destination: If the data isn’t sitting in the corrupt entry (fat chance), it had to go somewhere.
>User: Someone accessed or routed this data through here. It might not pay off immediately, but it could be rather useful to find out who.
>Shrug it off: You’ve seen busted data all the time. There isn’t always meaning. Get ahead and move on to working on the other Magds and Durga as soon as possible.
>Write in?

>>2787219
>Content: Even if they’re busted, you might be able to pick up something.

>>2787219
>>Content: Even if they’re busted, you might be able to pick up something.

>>2787219
>>Content: Even if they’re busted, you might be able to pick up something.
With some luck, the entries should contain some useful metadata in addition to the actual content.

>>2787239
>>2787255
>>2787258

>"Ghouling the files themselves is probably best. If I'm lucky, I can get everything I could ever know out of it without ever sticking my neck out."

Roll: 1d100 Best of 3
BONUS: What keywords or details should Sam be looking for?

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>2787392
>BONUS: What keywords or details should Sam be looking for?
Durga, Valkyrie, Hawke, Sam, Surtalogi

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>2787392
>Keywords
I dunno. These should be technical logs, right? Either look for something that doesn't fit the pattern, or look for references to things that don't exist. Proper nouns maybe?

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>2787392

>>2787415
>>2787421
>>2787429

BEST: 57

Writing.

>>2787436

You crack your knuckles and get to work. The small input keyboard is cramped, but you’re not nearly dumb enough to offload any of this information. You risk a booby trap by going too deep into the data, but there’s no way in hell this stuff wouldn’t phone home if it got moved again.

You start by putting your uplink offline. Technically it’s in test mode, but it’s the closest thing to off you can get without shutting down the whole thing. It’s not entirely isolated, but it’ll might choke out heavier protocols, like the kind that could be sniffing the data.

You’re immediately stymied by the format. It wants to read as text, video, database, and a slew of other formats, and in every angle, the information is jumbled in a different fashion. Frustratingly, you can see best in the damaged portions: The data is specifically formatted to interfere with itself.

You opt for the low tech approach, shotgunning queries at the textual formats. The results aren’t encouraging: Top queries include all kinds of variations on “redacted” and “classified”. Names don’t seem to help either: Any variation of “Samuel” or “Hawke” doesn’t hit anywhere. You don’t dare go more specific.

You try more esoteric options and are rewarded with a flood of hits on “Durga”. Your excitement turns to ennui when you realize that it’s picking it up in the header: All the files are tagged "Durga". So much for a breakthrough.

>>2787616


You’re halfway through your next query when the significance dawns on you. “Doctored data out of Durga” was what the Major came out here for, which you’d bet is exactly what you’re looking at.

You decide to risk it. You cancel the current query and replace it, adding “Durga, Surtalogi, Valkyrie” to a single query. You are rewarded with a passage deep in one of the earlier accesses.

“-he sake of compartmentalization and security purposes, the following will be chartered. Named Miasma, Ancile, Valkyrie, and Surtalogi. Project Durga will remain on under its current name, refocused on prototype integration and harmonization…”

You add the additional keywords, only to find that no permutation or combination pulls additional data. Valkyrie alone draws an empty audio file, along with a pile of redacted personnel rosters. Surtalogi alone hits a chain of redacted messages, but they’re so patchy as to resemble a child’s word game.

You notice the bandwidth spike you were watching for: Something watching or talking. You reach down and pop the relevant breaker, power cycling the router. In the meantime, you drop a broken query into the browser and allow it to crash.

As the system reboots, you find the relevant transmission, ending with “…D3475 NA:NY:VCMA:32_“ If you had to guess, a watchdog protocol embedded in the data. Under the limited test bandwidth, it hadn’t solidified a connection before you gave it a digital suplex. You were cutting it close though.

You could make another attempt and hope it’s not smart enough to resume or you could clear the files and be done with them. Theoretically, you could try to isolate it now that it made itself known, but your skills in security bypassing are nearly entirely analogue…

>Reset and open the files again: You can risk a bit more. (Keywords?)
>Delete the data: Luck got you this far, you’re not going to go double or nothing.
>Try to isolate the security program: Perhaps you could confuse it into broadcasting on an non-functional relay? (Keywords?)
>Shelve it: If you compress and offload the data, you can have someone more knowledgeable examine it later. On the other hand, just because the internal security is boxed in doesn’t mean it can’t be found.
>Write in?

>>2787624
>>Delete the data: Luck got you this far, you’re not going to go double or nothing.
The risks outweigh the rewards.

>>2787624
>Delete the data: Luck got you this far, you’re not going to go double or nothing.

>>2787624
>Delete the data: Luck got you this far, you’re not going to go double or nothing.

Doesn't help that we have some intense scrutiny on us right now.

>>2787674
>>2787678
>>2787692

>"The only way to win against the house is to leave the moment you're up. Fold and cash out."

Calling it for tonight. Sorry to bail before writing, but I don't want a repeat of last thread. I'll have it up tomorrow with another decision point. We'll pick this back up Thursday 8/9 at 5 PM EST.

>>2787766
Goodnight Fernglas

>>2787766
Thanks for running.

>>2787766
Cheers for running mate

>>2787766

Due to a personal issue, I need to push the session to tomorrow. Sorry for the delay.

>>2794333

I'm back. Sorry for the delay. I'll have the next update up shortly.

>>2796624

You contemplate for a moment the outcomes of this little exploration. While you’ve got a veritable treasure trove of information in front of you, there’s a little gremlin who, despite likely being a couple dozen lines of code, could drop the entire VC intelligence apparatus on your empty head. If you can outsmart it, you might get a little more about the current situation. On the counter, if you can’t, best case scenario is spending the rest of your life in a Parisian cell. You weigh the odds in your head. Between the chance of getting caught and getting something useful, along with something actually relevant, carrying the possibility of finding more of the same…

You want a calculator; which is a self-evident answer to your chances of beating the computer at cat and mouse. You return the data to the cache, pull your relevant AAR data and clear the rest. No matter how intriguing the details, can be at the end of the day, they’re entirely outside of your span: Your world begins at Maya and Miriam, and ends only just outside the team. Anything outside that can, as always, be tagged, identified and addressed as needed. It’s not like you’re going to win any games that can’t be solved with overwhelming firepower or a little elbow grease.

You’ll have to be satisfied with what you got: The Durga project got split into separate entities. Ancile and Miasma you’d never heard of, but you knew Valkyrie, and now Surtalogi. Perhaps you caught the word while screening the C3 for anomalous behaviors during the mission. You’re not sure how likely that was: You would think you would remember a strange word like that if you saw it, and you’re damn sure you should have mangled it if you tried to read it off just the text. You hadn’t guessed it, you knew it, at least as far as a code word. Not that it mattered much if the unfortunate Major was correct and it was getting consumed by Valkyrie.

Which is bad? The awkward wording of the passage sticks on the tongue: Separating the projects for security makes sense, but it doesn’t wait two words before it repeats itself. Perhaps it means something different to be compartmentalized? Some reason why they so aggressively split the original project, but somehow weren’t in the position to continue that partition based on losing a leader? Surely, they had another candidate to promote or appoint?

A loud pop jolts you from your reverie. Your amended report data is offloaded, and apparently the cockpit drained well enough to permit the shorted speakers to voice their complaints. You make a note to have Jennings pull the log when he’s finished with your make work and slip down past your harness. Another part with far too many bolts affixing it to trade out, this time with the added benefit of being slick with displaced oil and Shell. You let the questions go for now, chased off by busted knuckles and rote procedure.

>>2797086

You’re elbow deep into the right gyro array with a can of degreaser when Jenning’s machine returns from the Durga. He disembarks leisurely, whistling some old folk tune. He gives you just enough time to get clear before he tosses you a data card, which you just barely catch the edge of with your clean hand.

“You’re something else Sam; Didn’t take me five minutes to find the sensor you faulted, but I still ain’t got a clue how you didn’t leave prints.” He borrows a towel from your work cart and wipes the sweat off his face, leaving a small smudge of oil across his thin face. He appraises himself in a parts dish before deciding he looks professional enough for overtime.

“You try typing casual?” You chuckle a bit, pulling a fresh tube of grease from one of the drawers, “You need to have a lil’ confidence, no matter what you’re BSing.”

“Casual nothing, everything got cleared. You’ve gotta have a method to that one.” He gestures back towards the bridge, now entirely deserted. There’s little light save your work lamps and the streetlights. “Any idea who the parade was for?”

“Some ideas. He didn’t stick around that long.” You fumble the tube, applying the recommended amount to the bearing surface, both your hands and your right boot.

“Aw come on, you got better than that. What’s eating you?” He tosses the towel to you.

>Homefront: Things are getting complicated here, and the more trouble you get into here, the more likely it’ll roll all the way downhill.
>Data: Now that the evidence is long gone, you could bounce it off Jennings. He’s not the brightest, but he’s got a canny side, and he’ll keep his nose out of it.
>The Other Boot: The Major is only act one of this bit. You’re expecting a visit tomorrow, and could use an second opinion.
>Injury: It doesn’t feel that bad, but they say that’s the worst sign for a burn. Lis would worry too much, and Durga would take it personally.
>The Others: Between Alex’s chip on her shoulder, Your long overdue conversation with Lis and Durga being half-certifiable, it makes sense you’re on edge. At least Jennings is only chasing skirts.

>>2797090
>The Others: Between Alex’s chip on her shoulder, Your long overdue conversation with Lis and Durga being half-certifiable, it makes sense you’re on edge. At least Jennings is only chasing skirts.

>>2797090
>>The Other Boot: The Major is only act one of this bit. You’re expecting a visit tomorrow, and could use an second opinion.

>>2797090
>>The Others: Between Alex’s chip on her shoulder, Your long overdue conversation with Lis and Durga being half-certifiable, it makes sense you’re on edge. At least Jennings is only chasing skirts.

>>2797090
>The Other Boot: The Major is only act one of this bit. You’re expecting a visit tomorrow, and could use an second opinion.
Why are ol' sammy's musings so enjoyable to read, I wonder?

>>2797090
>>Data: Now that the evidence is long gone, you could bounce it off Jennings. He’s not the brightest, but he’s got a canny side, and he’ll keep his nose out of it.
>The Others: Between Alex’s chip on her shoulder, Your long overdue conversation with Lis and Durga being half-certifiable, it makes sense you’re on edge. At least Jennings is only chasing skirts.

>>2797099
>>2797109
>>2797164

>"I kinda miss when my greatest concern was that you were going to torpedo our careers chasing a date with one of the Knight pilots"

>>2797102
>>2797124

>The Other Boot: The Major is only act one of this bit. You’re expecting a visit tomorrow, and could use an second opinion.

>>2797164

>Data: Now that the evidence is long gone, you could bounce it off Jennings. He’s not the brightest, but he’s got a canny side, and he’ll keep his nose out of it.

If it fits, Sam'll go further down the list. Consider it a priority ranking.

Writing.

>>2797186
“You ever get the feeling you’re in over your head?” You gingerly scrape the worst of the gel off your hands before giving them a spritz of cleaner and scrubbing.

“You mean every morning?” He slips past you, securing the casing and beginning to seal it up. You wonder if you’ve ever seen his hands empty while he’s conscious.

“More recently actually. Like deploying out here with these pilots.”

“Oh, yeah. Seriously, how’d we luck out with a majority female element out here? I mean what are the odds! So who’s-“

You clear your throat.

“Alright, seriously seriously.” He rubs his neck, “The pilots are a bit of a handful. I don’t get too worried about it, but that’s because you’re the one who’s going to catch it if things go south. Not putting that evil on you, just stating facts.”

“I’m well aware. It’s not just the pilots though.”

“You’re worried about Lis? She’s fine man. You ain’t gotta worry about her. She’s your biggest fan.”

“I haven’t gotten back to her since we left AIT.” You lean back against the Magd’s leg, letting the cold composite pull the heat out of your tired muscles.

“Oof… Never mind, abandon ship.” He tosses the wrench, which bounces off the intended receptacle. He glances up at your blank expression and gives a rueful look. “Nah, she’s probably gonna be fine. You’ve been busy, she’s been busy.

“I hope so; It’s always the little things that end up biting you.” You retrieve a torque wrench and punctuate the sentence by adjusting it to the proper weight. He accepts it with a wry smile.

“She’s not all that litt-ow,” He shakes out his hand where you tagged him with a stripped bolt, “I deserved that.”

“Moving on. What do you think about Alex. I thought she was pretty level until she decided to put her fellow officer in a leg lock.”

“I don’t think I blame her. I might have felt the same if we were southeast States. Wouldn’t you?”

“I think that’s a bit dif-“

“How about New York? You’ve got your kid sister there right?”

For a moment, you can’t shake the uncanny image of a perfect blue circle on a satellite map. You grit your teeth. “…Yeah.”

>>2797575

“Same principle, just less wrestling, The Euros are sensitive about the East. Every time they take ground out here seems they gotta start over from scratch. Same… Shit… Different… War…” He throws his weight on the bolts until the wrench gives a satisfying click. “They’re closer than they wanna admit too.”

You raise an eyebrow, “Durga and Alex? I don’t see it.”

“If you’re used to trucking missiles on the horizon, shock and awe is ugly, but If you’re on the big gun, even shots that miss do work. Both of ‘em are just popping baddies who’re too brave or stupid to keep their heads down.” He taps the wrench back, unlocking it from a stubborn bolt. “Alex just doesn’t want to admit there’s not much difference between dropping a bomb in every house’s chimney and dropping every house into a crater.”

“Everyone’s evacuated. Only fools are still living on the battlefront.”

“Didn’t have that luxury in Belarus. Durga’s fresh, but this isn’t Alex’s first rodeo.” He glances back to the towering artillery machine. “Which reminds me, while we’re on serious, you put Durga last for a reason didn’t ya?.

“Last?”

“Come on; being on the same page works both ways: Lis shuttled Durga, you kept the brass off Lis while I went and looked busy. It worked, but you’re still wound like a German rifle, so you’re still expecting trouble. You didn’t want to say anything, so you figured I’d guess something about fraternization and run with it.” He taps his forehead.

You briefly consider the Alex method of conflict resolution.

“Alright. The officer I sent away was investigating data theft. There was a procedural screwup, so we don’t have to worry about him again, but there was some funny business in our tac channel. If I were a betting man, I think we’re going to get a ‘lil bit of a rude wakeup.”

“And that’s why it was wiped… Except the AAR… Jesus that’s slick. You say you pulled the card after maintenance and they’ll have nothing but a whole bunch of IRH on guncam.” He grins and claps you on the shoulder.

When you don’t respond, he sighs. “Just take the credit alright. We’ll be fine, these things are tiny: there ain’t room in a Panzermagd for backup that’s not collision or kill. Hand the chip off to Durga and it’ll be the closest thing to air tight we’re gonna get out here.”

You nod.

>>2797583

“So what was it? Someone got some general’s wife on tape?” He waggles his eyebrows.

“I think it’s black project data.” You deadpan.

The eyebrows stop. “Pass. That’s a whole different level of getting fucked.”

“Just fair warning,” You shrug, “You good to clean up here?”

“Only if you take a turn on the couch.” He wags a finger at your sour expression. “Hey, you got to pick my brain this whole time. Fair is fair.”

“Alright, what’s the question?”

“You and Durga. That’s my question.” He tosses the torque wrench, this time actually hitting his target.

You roll your eyes.

“Hey, I’m serious too: You’re soft on her. I won’t tell Lis if you’re gonna say something embarrassing.”

>Professional Courtesy: We’re partners. She needs a light touch for guidance, so I stay gentle for the most part.
>Family: She reminds me of my sisters. It’s only natural I want to see her happy and safe.
>Affection: She’s cute for a gun-bunny. I just take a different approach than your car-chasing dog routine.
>Friendship: With her circumstances, she doesn’t really have that many genuine friends. I aim to rectify this.
>Maintenance: It’s part of the job: If she can’t function, we can't perform..
>Write in?

>>2797598
>>Family: She reminds me of my sisters. It’s only natural I want to see her happy and safe.

With a side of tard wrangling, but I guess that's also what siblings do sometimes.

>>2797598
>Friendship: With her circumstances, she doesn’t really have that many genuine friends. I aim to rectify this.

>>2797598
>>Professional Courtesy: We’re partners. She needs a light touch for guidance, so I stay gentle for the most part.
with a touch of
>Maintenance: It’s part of the job: If she can’t function, we can't perform..

>>2797598
>Friendship: With her circumstances, she doesn’t really have that many genuine friends. I aim to rectify this.

With a small touch of

> She's a cute gunbunny

>>2797635
>>2797700
>"She's a friend: Lord knows we can all use one out here."

>>2797611
>>Family: She reminds me of my sisters. It’s only natural I want to see her happy and safe.

>>2797645
>>Professional Courtesy: We’re partners. She needs a light touch for guidance, so I stay gentle for the most part.
>Maintenance: It’s part of the job: If she can’t function, we can't perform..

>>2797700
>Affection: She’s cute for a gun-bunny. I just take a different approach than your car-chasing dog routine.

Writing.

>>2797724

“I’m soft on you too you ingrate.” You toss the towel at Jennings, who wisely lets it pass before picking it up from the cleanest possible corner.

“I’m gonna renege; Lis needs to hear that one.” He flops the towel into a bin and points at you. “Last chance; I’ll ask Durga instead.”

“Man you’re obnoxious today. We’re friends. Garden variety.”

He gestures, “And?”

“I swear Jennings, I wasn’t asking for interrogation practice. We work together, it’s our job to support her and keep her fighting her best. We do that best by reaching out and bringing her into the fold. It’s good for her as a soldier and as a person.” You retrieve the errant wrench from the dirt caked stone. “But most importantly, it’s just nice to have friends out here. It’s lonely enough when we’re in separate cans on a daily basis, so I rather enjoy having someone to talk to.”

“She seems affable enough with the other soldiers.” Jennings shrugs.

“I don’t know how much of that isn’t a front; You saw her circumstances are a bit unique.”

“I believe the military term is FUBAR, but I see where you’re coming from.” He hauls the displaced armor cap back into place over the access panel, sealing up the Magd.

“Point is, it’s not all that different than when we hit Boot. If I was alone, I’d want someone to close ranks with. Someone I could trust to be honest.”

“And it’s purely coincidence you lock on whenever she flashes those blue eyes of hers?” He accents the tongue-in-cheek quip with hand goggles.

“ I swear they glow.” You tone is a touch more defensive than you intended, which elicits a laugh from Jennings.

“And that’s the one I ain’t telling Lis. Come on, we gotta spread the word that we are no longer in danger of a “totally real” containment breach.”

You grimace, “Every time you say stuff like that, odds of getting away with this shit get a lil’ worse.”

“Already told you I don’t bet, and you’re the only one who needs to get away with it anyways.”

“Stop reminding me.”

>>2797939

When you return, Lis is sitting in the common area pretending to read some field manual and swirling the dregs of a cold cup of coffee. She looks up sluggishly as you come in.

“Please tell me we’re done.”

“Yep. You could have killed time looking over 03.” Jennings pulls a bottle of water from the mess and proceeds to drain it.

“Everything was nominal. I’d be filling paint chips.” She slumps in her seat. “I was talking with Durga for a bit in the back, but she virtually passed out the moment she sat back on the bed.”

“Sorry, You could have borrowed one of our bunks.” You tip the edge of the book to read the title: “PZKT Interfacing and I/O”. Riveting.

“No, It’s fine. I’ve been that way before. Won’t begrudge her some rest. With the way she describes her days, I don’t know if she ever gets more than a nap.”

“Will it cause trouble?” You glance towards the door.

“We talked about it when I explained the Class 3; She says most of it isn’t time sensitive; she just gets a bit behind and they catch up between sessions.”

“Good enough. I’m hitting my bunk. Sam says we might have an early morning, so you should consider it yourself.” Jennings hikes his thumb back at you as he crosses to his cabin.

“I’m on my third cup; I’ll get to it when I’m dead.” She gives Jennings a nod. He needs no second bidding, and ducks out, leaving you alone with her. She turns to you. “Is the asshole brigade doing wakeups now?”

“Not likely; It’s just the kind of issue that has the annoying habit of rhyming.” You contemplate the coffee pot, mostly to avoid looking her in the eye.

“I get what you mean. You heading to bed too?”

>Sleep: You need to be at your best for tomorrow, and you’re already going to have to settle for “Capable of shaving” levels of rest.
>”The Talk”: You’ve been delaying this one for a bit. If you wait for a good time, you’ll never actually get around to it.
>Durga: She needs primed for any potential issues tomorrow. You can also free up Lis’s bunk.
>Miriam: You’re a bit earlier than before, so you might actually have the chance for a substantial conversation with your sister if you can slip in again. It hasn’t even been a week, but it can’t hurt.
>Research: It’s outside your forte, but if you’re willing to drop any pretense of rest, you might be able to pick up the empty hole in VC operations that encompasses the institutional morass you’ve found yourself mired in
>Write in?

Calling it for tonight. Next session is going to be Tuesday 8/14, 5 EST.

>>2797940
>>Sleep: You need to be at your best for tomorrow, and you’re already going to have to settle for “Capable of shaving” levels of rest.
Sleep is good.

>>2797940
>Sleep: You need to be at your best for tomorrow, and you’re already going to have to settle for “Capable of shaving” levels of rest.

>>2797940
>”The Talk”: You’ve been delaying this one for a bit. If you wait for a good time, you’ll never actually get around to it.

>>2797940
>”The Talk”: You’ve been delaying this one for a bit. If you wait for a good time, you’ll never actually get around to it.

>>2797945
>>2798266

>Sleep: You need to be at your best for tomorrow, and you’re already going to have to settle for “Capable of shaving” levels of rest.

>>2798351
>>2798770

>”The Talk”: You’ve been delaying this one for a bit. If you wait for a good time, you’ll never actually get around to it.

Ties man. Not even once.

Vote closes at 5:15 EST

>>2797940
>”The Talk”: You’ve been delaying this one for a bit. If you wait for a good time, you’ll never actually get around to it.
Gotta force yourself into it sometimes.

>>2806533
>>2798770
>>2798351

>"It would be good to clear the air. This is only going to get more stressful if I delay it further."

>>2797945
>>2798266

>Sleep: You need to be at your best for tomorrow, and you’re already going to have to settle for “Capable of shaving” levels of rest.

Writing.

>>2806587

“I’m still a lil’ wired from the Grey’s inviting themselves out here. Even if I wasn’t, the nap I took coming in to Kyiv pushed me back a bit.” You swirl the carafe, frowning at the congealed mass. You set about making a fresh pot.

“I don’t think you can count passing out as qualty rest.” Lis stands and pours out her deplorable mug, pulling another from the small stack and rinsing both.

“Quality is for the home front. This doesn’t count as real coffee either.” You shake a vacuum package before emptying the pre-filled filter into the top of the machine, dusting errant flecks into the receptacle where the tired mesh cracked.

In such a tight space, most people would have difficulty working around each other, but muscle memory serves, prompting a mundane, if intricate dance between cabinets, sink and cooler. It’s entirely gratuitous: The lifesaving minute and a half to outrun morning formation was obsolete off of base, but it was a familiar ritual. Inside of four minutes, you had returned to the table, machine running and two mugs, doctored with sugar and creamer stood watch over the languid drip of liquid vigor.

“You picked a hell of a time Sam. Jennings put you up to it?” She tosses the booklet, neatly lofting it among a similar pile.

“Not really; I brought it up, but he was as helpful as pre-mixed camouflage.” You scratch your neck. “To be honest, I just thought it was a lil’ unfair if I didn’t get back to you, especially if my hunch is correct.”

“0 points. You’re not getting credit for saying it took the threat of torture to talk.” She crinkles her brow.

You consider for a moment if you should seriously wait for later, but any damage to be done is already in progress. As far as condition goes, you’re both in bad shape, but that could be a blessing. This was your default, coming back tired, painful and running on nothing but coffee and spite.

“Let’s not pretend we weren’t both dodging: You knew you could have nailed me to the wall this morning when you mentioned it.” You stretch a bit, “If you weren’t too tired to sleep, you would have told me to catch you in the morning.”


“And what if I would?” There’s a bit of heat in the words, “You can’t duck out from under this just because I’m-“


The coffee machine sputters, interrupting her. You hold up your hands . “Not going anywhere: Coffee first?”

>>2806782

You take advantage of the reprieve to collect your thoughts. Your history with her is simple enough on the surface. You were colleagues for a short time before she came to you to blow off some steam before a crucial certification test. You weren’t nearly as stressed for your results, but you saw no reason to refuse, and it became a regular thing. Usually she would initiate, but it was not entirely one-sided; you could use a distraction occasionally as well. Both of you entirely disregarded any conversation about feelings or future: In daylight, you talked shop, and in the dark, the only concern was getting the most out of the short trysts.

As you finished with training, the opportunities dried up. You could not be certain that you would be tied in with the same unit, so you had one last hurrah before your boards, and resolve to let it be. Of course, then you got dropped into Durga’s unit as a single piece: You’d said your farewells, prepared to turn to your respective paths, only to find your destination and route were the same. By changing nothing, it radically altered your relationship: You were in for the long haul, among the most dangerous roles in the VC armed forces. What could be casual and mercenary, strictly defined by your limited posting was now indefinite, and your intentional disruption now left you both in limbo instead of freeing you.

The coffee machine lets out a chime, cheerfully announcing the release of the pot. You curse the java Judas that pulls you from the security of your thoughts. You pour and drift back to the table, gently sliding the respective mug across to Lis. She blows on the mug, taking a sip with visible contentment.

As they say, strike while the iron is hot?

>Status Quo: You both have needs, We’ll just act like the farewells never happened and move on from there.
>Let Down Easy: You needed something in training that you no longer need here.
>Solidify Bond: You’re going to be here for a while; having something with more substance would grant peace of mind.
>Deny Yourself: You still care for what you had, but it’s different out here. You can’t afford rigid attachments on the frontline.
>Query: You’re unsure. You’d like to hear her thoughts first, even at risk of sounding indecisive or dispassionate.
>Write in?

File: freeshrugs.jpg (84 KB, 449x642)

84 KB JPG

>>2806787
>Let Down Easy: You needed something in training that you no longer need here.

>>2806787
>Status Quo: You both have needs, We’ll just act like the farewells never happened and move on from there.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2806808
>Let Down Easy: You needed something in training that you no longer need here.

>>2806817
>Status Quo: You both have needs, We’ll just act like the farewells never happened and move on from there.

ROLL 1d100, Best of 3

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>2806875
Aw. That was cute..

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>2806875

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>2806875

>>2806875
>>2806894
>>2806898
>>2806917

"We have a good thing, as simple as it is."

BEST: 89

Writing

>>2806927

You consider a few approaches with varying degrees of apology and rationale, the kind that you’d considered in the past. A beat later, you discard them.

“Good?” You sip your own mug.

“Sweet.” She replies.

“I meant us.”

She pauses for a moment, then puts down her mug. “This is even less of a talk. Be serious.”

You take another sip. “I am.”

She frowns. “You don’t just get to check boxes off. You ARE ducking out.”

“We kept this lil’ thing simple during AIT; why stop now?”

“What are you saying? It’s not a fucking ready char-“

“We said some dumb things about our futures, waved goodbye and ended up sitting on the same plane.” You lean back. “Take that away, what’s left?”

She blinks for a moment, visibly confused.

“Twice a week. Whatever we wanted. No demands, no obligations. Simple as it could go. If I didn’t spend the whole flight hiding behind my marching papers, we would never have had this problem,” You throw her a bone, ”The only reason we have anything to talk about is because I was an idiot. We would have had this stowed in half a minute if I took the time out the first week out here.”

Her expression is empty: No doubt she expected something different.

You set down your mug and fold your hands, “I still want it. It’s a good thing. How about you?”

She looks pensive, “I-I liked what we had-“

“Have.” It comes out a bit firm, so you make an effort to soften your expression. ”If you want it.”

She bites her lip, but nods.

“Now. I’m going to finish this coffee… I’m going to go do the necessary paperwork on the AAR for tomorrow, just in case some angry black coat is looking for an excuse to give me a manicure tomorrow. When I’m done, I’m going to sleep.” You down the last of your drink, which is only a touch hotter than you would have liked, “Since we’re down a bed, I’ll leave the compartment unlocked: You can decide what to do with that information.”

With that, you stand, place the mug in the sink, and duck into your bunk.

You never make it to your desk.

>>2807457

You wake early. A short bit of detangling nets you a quick shower and with it the necessary wakefulness to knock down the stubble. A brisk splash of cleanser in turn puts you to 100%, despite the sleep deprivation. You slip back into your bunk, collecting the necessary materials and drag a chair outside to take advantage of the morning. A light drizzle taps against the canopy, but you have enough cover to ignore the rain and reap the benefits of the refreshing mist.

Yes. Clean rain does a body good. Clears the mind.

With a half-fresh memory, the report is typed rapidly. You are careful to reserve “irrelevant” material from it. The final result is only a half-dozen pages, most of that eaten by templates and maps. You pay special attention on the IRH machine at Lubny and squeeze a surprising amount of filler out of the later fire missions. A well-glossed description of Alex’s altercation with Durga and a single sentence on Hershman rounds out the gaps in the narrative.

It doesn’t surprise you when the covered jeep pulls up around 0530. It surprises you even less when you see that black beret. You see another official attempt to leave the vehicle: A lanky gentleman wearing a labcoat, but he’s all but dragged back in before he can take another step.

The thin rain did little to affect Hawke’s uniform: Water bounced off the tight weave like a raincoat, giving the illusion of the rays of morning sun beading up and rolling off her. Her expression reinforces the effect: She radiates invincibility. You fight the urge to be swept up in the feeling: Just because you’re relieved it’s her doesn’t mean you’re glad to be visited.

You stand and salute, which she returns.

“Armistead… I was told there was an incident?”

She pauses… That’s it. Great… You’re getting tested.

>Technical: Elaborate on the Class 3 procedure and turning away the soldiers. Provide documentation. Reinforce Alibi.
>Data: Describe your talk with Hershman and your subsequent investigation. Subtly convey the nature of your cover up. Give her what she wants (you think).
>Alex: Describe the altercation between Alex and Durga. Throw Hawke off balance and establish concern for Durga.
>Sortie: Describe the Cicada and your encounter with it. The “innocent” option. Potentially irritating, but if there’s a game she wants you to play, this is a safe move.
>Write in?

>>2807460
>Technical: Elaborate on the Class 3 procedure and turning away the soldiers. Provide documentation. Reinforce Alibi.

>>2807460
>>Technical: Elaborate on the Class 3 procedure and turning away the soldiers. Provide documentation. Reinforce Alibi.

>>2807460
>>Technical: Elaborate on the Class 3 procedure and turning away the soldiers. Provide documentation. Reinforce Alibi.
Don't hack off the closest thing we have to a friendly in this black ops mess.

>>2807460
>Technical: Elaborate on the Class 3 procedure and turning away the soldiers. Provide documentation. Reinforce Alibi.

>>2807467
>>2807495
>>2807512
>>2807515

"You know how it is. Little reactor breach warning... Just your average Tuesday.

>>2807550

If it didn't seem obvious: Writing.

>>2807555

“Ma’am. We had a Class 3 threat involving the Knight Durga. We quarantined and decontaminated the pilot as necessary while we identified the triggered sensor. With an exhausti-“

“You have a report I assume?” There’s a tug at the corner of her mouth, which you pray profusely is amusement.

You hand over your AAR and the relevant regulatory paperwork. It’s perfect; You’d know, you trashed two previous versions.

She reviews it for just a moment, skimming the first and last page.

“Detailed. You did a good job Corporal. How’s your charge?”

“The Pilot decided to retire to an available bunk during the quarantine.” You gesture back to the barrack, “I believe she is still resting.”

“There was a report that linked potential authorized access to sensitive materials to Durga’s network. Have you heard anything about that?”

You chose your next words carefully, “As far as I can tell, no data from Durga was offloaded from the network. We are secure.”

She gestures back to the car and an MP steps out of the car with his hand on his pistol. You sweat bullets as he approaches energetically, reaching for cuffs. When he gets in reach however, Hawke taps him in the chest with your paperwork. The MP chokes down his indignation and, with a sidelong glance to you moves to shuttle the material back to the car.

“You’re doing the thing again Armistead. I’m not going to have you hang for your manners.” She gives a smile. “Do you have that data I asked you for?”

You nod sheepishly, passing along the data card. She immediately inserts it into a reader and swipes through it. Her pleased expression fades rapidly.

“Is it alright?” You wonder if the MP isn’t going to get his wish after all.

“Yes. I’m simply disappointed in an astoundingly large number of people, of which you are luckily absent. I assume you were having impulse control problems with Durga?”

“Not in regard to myself, but she seemed a lil’ eager to scrap for operating a field gun.”

“Troubling. We’ll discuss this later. Any issues with the machine itself?”

“It was taking a lot out of Durga in action: She was virtually dead on her feet after the Lubny bombardment.”

“I gathered. It’s related to your data. For now, let’s just say my people took the wrong conclusions from her psyche profile.”

>>2807821

“Moving on, the machine seems to be having issues with delivering operations recordings. Sigyn noticed the issue when we were operating on laser-link.”

“That was an expected issue with the most recent modification to the Knight; We’ll just continue copying off the data from the machine then, Armistead?”

That wasn’t actually a question. You frown, but nod.

“What’s your personal take then. Anything in particular you noticed during the operation?” She stows the reader. You wonder if it might have been wise to keep a copy.

“Some strange visual glitches on the streams. Everything else is in the data.”

“That’s it? Surely you caught more with the resources at your disposal. You were watching her right?”

“Not as much as I would have liked; My attention was somewhat divided.” You gesture to your injury.

“That’s surprisingly tame to come from a Knight: Some form of ADS?”

“Yeah; went straight through the composite and made a mess of my systems, Magd and otherwise. Durga patched me up.”

“That’s good to hear; We haven’t had much opportunity to have her deploy her non-piloting skills; It’s not she can shadow in the field hospitals.”

“Deploy?”

“The interface is dual-stream; It’s somewhat risky, but we can load data on her; which is how she’s picked up most of her foundational skills. Until she’s used them however, they’re not really hers, and misinterpretation can be disastrous. Hence deploy rather than use or practice.”

The realization you’re the first casualty Durga’s treated (No matter how minor) isn’t particularly inspiring.

“Beside that, How about yourself Armistead? Fit enough to work?”

You sincerely hope your expression isn’t nearly as slack-jawed in reality than in your mind’s eye. Genuine concern is far beyond any expectations between you and Hawke… Which make the simple conclusion an ulterior motive.

>Skim: A bit burned and bruised. Some exhaustion. Just a notch above the stuff you remember from boot.
>Hedge: Fit as a fiddle. 105%. If Hawke is trying to sideline you, she’ll have to work for it.
>In-Depth: She’s asking for a reason. Be exhaustive and hope she shares the topic of her curiosity.
>Balance the Scales: You’ll answer, but she needs to hold up her end. She owes you information on Valkyrie, and if she wants you to turn your head and cough, she’d better start with the why.
>Write in?

That's it for tonight. Next Session Thurs 8/16 5pm EST

The dialogue is severely slowing my update speed. I'll try to work on that.

Since I keep forgetting, I have a twitter @FernglasQ for update information. I'll work it into an OP format for next thread. Might even have a banner if I'm not a lazy prick.

>>2807834
>>Skim: A bit burned and bruised. Some exhaustion. Just a notch above the stuff you remember from boot.

>>2807834
>Skim: A bit burned and bruised. Some exhaustion. Just a notch above the stuff you remember from boot.

Should we bring up how some goons almost arrested us all? Might be important, but we did deliberately axe it from the report... hmmm.

>>2807834
>Skim: A bit burned and bruised. Some exhaustion. Just a notch above the stuff you remember from boot.

>>2807834
>>Balance the Scales: You’ll answer, but she needs to hold up her end. She owes you information on Valkyrie, and if she wants you to turn your head and cough, she’d better start with the why.

>>2807843
>>2808294
>>2809062

>Skim: A bit burned and bruised. Some exhaustion. Just a notch above the stuff you remember from boot.

>>2809230

>Balance the Scales: You’ll answer, but she needs to hold up her end. She owes you information on Valkyrie, and if she wants you to turn your head and cough, she’d better start with the why.

Vote closes at 5:15

>>2810569

>"I feel fine? Nothing a bit of foot powder and pain pills can't handle."

Writing

>>2810627

[Mitsuhara Fukuyama – Halls of Amada]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvVCSl-CdDk

“It’s not serious. Like I said, Durga handled the worst for me. I’ll crunch some pills if I get sluggish…" You pause awkwardly, "Thanks for asking?”

Her expression is seasoned with a dash of doubt. “You aren’t already on meds?”

“Just a lil’ topical I think; It wasn’t that bad when I came to.”

“Well. You got lucky then. We were off base when you returned investigating your… Your report calls it a Cicada?" She checks her slate, "Anyways, It cooked the scout detachment forward on Lubny: The newer composites are entirely useless; Without a metallic sheath, it turns our people into popcorn,” She notes the revulsion that crosses your face. “The vehicles, Corporal; It sets off the ammo. You might not survived here if you turned the other way. The casualties are the standard kind of dead, and if I just read your report in exclusion, I’d assume you’d be among them.”

You evaluate for a moment. A little burn isn’t all that bad right… You think about the melted plastic of your jumpsuit and the slagged EW equipment. Clearly the worst of it was caught on your machine. Did you imagine the fused plastic? A paranoid delusion of blistered skin and charred flesh? You shake the imagery from your mind: You feel fine. The damage surely wasn’t that severe.

“I’ll buy a lotto ticket then, “ You reply with a touch of flippancy, “You said something about work?”

“I need a squad for a bit of a compromise: Something subtler than you’re used to, but far higher power than my usual. You’re convenient, and mostly trustworthy. Also, you’re somehow coming out of this relatively clean, but for a few entirely expected omissions.”

You’re actually confused at her statement for a change. You’ve been explicit about everything above the table, and you’re damn sure she’s getting anything else she wants straight from Durga. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about Auditor. You’ve got everything I’ve got.”

>>2810819

“An incredibly diplomatic way of putting it. Armistead, but don’t get too concerned: I’m not at all subtle when I decide I want to play games.” She beckons back to the vehicle. The same MP as before approaches with far less excitement. She rattles off a difficult to follow set of administrative instructions, prompting the MP to copy them onto a notepad.

After an astonishingly short time, she faces you. “The long and short of it is you’re spending a stopover in Warsaw. A “parade for heroes” is in order.” She puts peculiar emphasis on the statement. She shoos off the soldier, who retreats with an uncharacteristic energy.

“A “parade for heroes”?” You stress the same words with a touch of amusement.

“I told you I’m not subtle when I play games. Of course not. We’re going to display Durga’s Knight a bit while I kick some asses that need to make some much needed modifications to the machine. In the meantime, you’re going to do some haz-mat work. Do you know about Chernobyl?”

“Old power plants at the head of the Dnieper, right? “The Hearth of the Russia”?”

“Used to be the power capital of the USSR before the Hanguo moved on from thermonuclear. Some of the largest and most advanced reactors of the time were tested there.”

“What do you need us out there for? It’s all old antiques, and I’m not keen on getting fried again.” You maintain a humorous angle.

“That’s the funny part you see. I’m not sending you out there because there’s been a breach: Entirely the opposite in fact.” She adjusts her beret.

“Someone’s cleaning up?” You quirk an eyebrow.

“Even the residual: No matter how careful the USSR was, we expect tiny amounts in the river, but radiologically speaking, it’s cleaner than before the plants started.”

“So, we swing up and find out what the Hanguo is doing up there? Doesn’t sound like a job for VC grunts.”

“It isn’t. And frankly anyone with the knowledge I want is long dead. I’m loading Durga with the necessary expertise, and that means ~you~ have a playdate.” She pokes you in the chest. The gesture is weak enough, but you have the mental image of being stuck to corkboard with a long pin.

>Protest: You just said you’re taking away Durga’s Knight. How the hell are you doing any kind of work with Durga if she’s reduced to reference material?
>Refuse: This is significantly outside your general orders: Hawke is going to have to be far more explicit if she wants your cooperation.
>Pry: If you’re stubborn, you can probably trade some information, especially now that you’re clear of a court martial (Write in?)
>Fold: A job is a job. As long as you’re useful, Hawke will shelter you from the worst… hopefully.”
>Write in?

>>2810823
>>Protest: You just said you’re taking away Durga’s Knight. How the hell are you doing any kind of work with Durga if she’s reduced to reference material?

>>2810823
>>Protest: You just said you’re taking away Durga’s Knight. How the hell are you doing any kind of work with Durga if she’s reduced to reference material?
>>Refuse: This is significantly outside your general orders: Hawke is going to have to be far more explicit if she wants your cooperation.
She wants to go to a radiological disaster area, to figure out why it isn't full of rads anymore, without the large powerful war machine our little fragile machines are designed to with work with? No thanks.

>>2810852

Chernobyl isn't a radio-logical disaster. It's just a mess of abandoned reactors and fueling sites.

The radiation she's talking about is incidental from dilapidated plants. Chernobyl was the power capital of the USSR.

It's still a mess, but not nearly as bad as in our timeline. Still isn't a vacation hotspot (Although, it sure is a hot spot :V)

>>2810867
So we won't have to worry about STALKERs then?
That's better than I thought, but going anywhere without our big stompy robot is a good way to get ourselves killed.

>>2810893

Just your average everyday entities that would go scrapping and salvaging large amounts of nuclear waste and fuel. It'll be fine. Trust me.

>>2810840
>>2810852

"Hold it. I'm pretty sure you just said "Go support fuckall in the middle of the Ukranian sticks. Clearly you didn't say that, so what's the actual plan?"

>>2810852

>>Refuse: This is significantly outside your general orders: Hawke is going to have to be far more explicit if she wants your cooperation.

Writing.

>>2810911

“So I’m running three Magds and a passenger out into the middle of nowhere.” You fix Hawke with a solid gaze.

“… Yes? Is there a problem?”

“Mostly the whole “Getting brutally murdered by unknown parties out on the edge of civilization”… It’s got me a lil’ concerned.” You squeeze your fingers with a pinch of sarcasm.

For a moment, you might have actually gotten to Hawke. Her expression is annoyed before she regains composure.” I don’t think the Hanguo are in the field. It shouldn’t be a problem.” She states.

“That one translates to “I’ve got no fucking idea what’s in the field.”. It’s your turn to encroach: you leverage your height to ensure she gets the right impression. “Even if you didn’t demand I keep your favorite Knight pilot safe, I still would have declined.” You fold your arms.

She takes a deep breath; pausing. You’re uncertain if she’s mulling over your concern or trying to figure some angle to force you. You don’t allow her the luxury.

“It’s not complicated Auditor: I’m not going to pick dying in the field over getting dressed down for refusing you.” You hike your thumb back towards the Magds. “I’m not being unreasonable. If you knew it was just IRH infantry, we’d do a cleanup sweep, but you just said you don’t think they’re out there. If it was civvies, you could have some Grey prick shoot them.”

“I see your point.” She pulls her slate out and pages over. “We don’t want to put a large Knight out there because of a few theories on the threat.” She pulls a schematic and turns it your way. “Does this look like anything to you?”

It frankly doesn’t. A set of incredibly intricate structures aligned in a cylindrical matrix. It’s reminds you a bit of the intricate patterns placed as eye catches in theoretical physics manuals. You shake your head.

“Fair enough.” She flips to a quite a bit more readable table, “It’s a new VC dynamo design, meant to exploit fissionables. It was prepared to power a new generation of bleeding edge VC weaponry, before there was a rather recent security breach, where prototypes were released from a Minsk lab… literally yesterday.”

You review the data with a hint of skepticism. The individual components are miniscule; This is the kind of schematic that was explicitly banned after Sinai. The second set of figures is significantly more worrying: Motorcycle sized motile forms, designated for resource acquisition and raiding. The kind of thing that would get out of hand quickly without external checks or commands.

>>2811199

“You think these things jumped the fence in Minsk and took a bus to nuke city?

“Not quite. I think they had some help from a few malcontents. Chernobyl is an inspired choice for deployment; They’d stick under the radar, pick up the necessary materials to replicate and by the time we identified them, they’d be ubiquitous… which lines us up to the reason for this arrangement. I don’t just need them eradicated, I want some of them collected.”

“And you can’t do that with a handful of idiots in NBC suits?”

“No, because they’re going to react to the encounter. Their intelligence is not limited. I’m concerned they will need convincing. Their configuration lacks any positive incentive beyond fuel and material. To put it another way, they’ll need either reprogrammed or bullied into submission.”

“So you want to risk a handful of light machines instead of a Knight. Why aren’t you concerned with Durga?”

“They can’t identify her as a threat for a number of reasons. In the case of contamination, she’s effectively inoculated: In the worst case scenario, we quarantine her until the rogue machines are rendered harmless in her system. I can’t send unprotected troops; and I don’t trust the proper channels to destroy or relinquish the collected material to me. That leaves me with your people, in sealed machines with the necessary modularity to carry the right equipment.”

“Except you expect a fight.” You examine the data closer, tapping a column of the data. “That value is power output. This one is also listed as output, but it’s referring to an external output system: You’re not just holding back Durga to keep it isolated, you’re concerned that enough of these things could cause significant damage..”

“Right again. We were hoping they’d only prepare appropriate countermeasures for the threats they detect; hence sending in just light machines. We’re in a bit of a pickle. The response drives the approach, rather than vice versa… We can’t risk them infiltrating our flagship.”

>>2811207

“So don’t send the flagship. Pull another Knight. Pull Sigyn or Tennhauser. Or I don’t know, just deploy Durga in another machine. I’m not willing to believe you don’t have a backup option for Durga. You had to test on a smaller scale.”

She frowns. “You’re well beyond your reach Corporal; That kind of conjecture is what puts people into interrogation.”

You shrug, “Give me something to anchor my team to and I’ll support it, like I’m trained and equipped to. Otherwise, you might as well: I won’t be cowed into getting my people hurt.”

She fixes you with a disdainful look. Eventually, she sighs. “Alright Corporal. I won’t send you out there empty handed. I’ll arrange for a Knight to orient your team around.

>Demand: I’m getting Durga’s knight and Sigyn on overwatch. It works well, and I’m not risking any of my people without my proper squad composition. If you need the machine to show up elsewhere, you should start with the paper-mache now.
>Requisition: You’re giving me the knight I need, not the one you think you can spare. Give me (Write In?) for this job.
>Commandeer: Subtle is all well and good, but that means I need more resources, not less: Give me a 4th Magd so Durga can help support and anything gear I need. It’s not like it costs you virtually anything.
>Trust: Hawke isn’t an enemy. She may have simply underestimated the importance Durga has to your combat strategies. She might be able to provide options now that she understands how important the heavy hitter is for a recon in force.
>Write in?

>>2811212
>Trust: Hawke isn’t an enemy. She may have simply underestimated the importance Durga has to your combat strategies. She might be able to provide options now that she understands how important the heavy hitter is for a recon in force.
The more you help me, the more I can help you

>>2811212
>Trust: Hawke isn’t an enemy. She may have simply underestimated the importance Durga has to your combat strategies. She might be able to provide options now that she understands how important the heavy hitter is for a recon in force.

>>2811212
>Trust: Hawke isn’t an enemy. She may have simply underestimated the importance Durga has to your combat strategies. She might be able to provide options now that she understands how important the heavy hitter is for a recon in force.
Though ask about that 4th Magd for Durga; we're well aware of how inexpensive they are.

>Their configuration lacks any positive incentive beyond fuel and material. To put it another way, they’ll need either reprogrammed or bullied into submission.”
Wait, are we looking at Rogue AI?
>we quarantine her until the rogue machines are rendered harmless in her system
Or nanobots?

>>2811239

You're not sure. This is significantly above your level of education when it comes to the mechanics. You picked out information that resembles micro-machines, and a far more understandable readout for a mechanical form. From what Hawke's description, you understand the larger forms pose a contamination risk based on their composition, which includes the power-generative micro design.

>>2811225
>>2811232
>>2811239

>"We can do pretty much anything you ask of us, as long as you shell out usable gear. It's just that simple."

Writing.

>>2811371

“It’s all I ask. We’re not much of a Knight team without a Knight.” You look back towards the barracks. “Besides, Even you can’t convince Durga to ride on the back of a Magd the whole way… We don’t have jumpseats.”

“Duly noted. I might be able to make this work, since we’re updating her anyway.” She focuses on her slate, talking over it. “Not nearly as heavily armed, but there’s a newer intermediate design I can probably swipe if I make the right calls.”

“Not the main Knight?” You hike your thumb back at the towering war machine.

“No, too much output. She’d pull them all in perfectly fine, but if they’ve gotten any significant access to quality power sources, she’d be the only one that makes it out, and it’s even odds she’d have to ditch the machine." She's interrupted by a chime from her slate. "Oh! Delightful! That’ll do nicely.”

She taps in a short message and looks to you. “This might actually work. You’ve got about a day free while I get things together and browbeat your commander. Just make sure anyone who asks knows you’re going to Warsaw.”

“Who would be asking?”

“Probably Captain Fredrich… Alex to you I suppose? She’s ~actually~ going to Warsaw, so try to keep it non-specific. With any luck, eyes will stay on her, so we can keep this under wraps.”

You can't see how that follows. Probably some VC favoritism involved. Alex is the clean kind of attractive, the kind you’d see on a recruitment poster with some pithy slogan. Perhaps that’s why she’s got such a chip on her shoulder. Maybe even those connections she mentioned.

“I don’t see much point; she’ll know the moment she doesn’t see us there.”

“Reasonable enough. Just don’t go shouting it from the rooftops. I’m not spinning this for fun.” She glances back to her vehicle, then to you. “Stay alive Armistead. You’re useful”

You wonder how high that rates on her scale of compliments. “I try. Same to you.”

>>2811734

She turns and takes three steps before stopping . “Oh. I nearly forgot: Valkyrie and you… Sounds a bit like a powerpoint… Anyways, I got something. A bunch of queries start when you placed a call. Something manual; the censor only threw out warnings, so someone had to review it. Of course, the log was heavily edited, so I’m at a loss on what prompted it beyond some unfunny joke about the IA office, which certainly was not a hanging offense.”

“Your guess is as good as mine; I was just catching up with my kid sister.”

“I’ve still got some feelers out. I’ll see what comes up.” She gives a salute, which you return.

She returns to the jeep. The early sun no longer bathed her uniform in gold, but in the silver droplets, she was no less dominating: Perhaps more so, since you got the impression she was more a creature of steel than gold. No matter her disguise, under all the raiments, at least some part of her was kin to you as a soldier, different in magnitude than in kind.

Now that you think about it, you remember the log was strange coming out of that call: You had assumed you double dipped on a OPSEC topic, but with these developments, you’re no longer certain. The fact that an Auditor was having difficulty tracking the information suggests active defense: Someone was on your shoulder watching you and wanted to keep you blind to the exact nature of your mistake.

Wracking your mind gets you no closer; You didn’t even think you tripped a specific warning, just a general keyword search that didn’t like your tone. You’ll keep an eye out; now that you know to look, you might be able to catch the censor in the act and investigate that way.

You put it aside for now. It’s still early. As the jeep pulls away, you realize you have nothing but your word to say your hunch was correct. Lis is likely beyond caring for a few reasons, but Jennings won’t pass up the opportunity to rib you.

>>2811743

Your morning routine was less cluttered than usual. Your morning brief was canceled by way of a terse message that all but implicated your earlier conversation. With that avoided, you took advantage of the free time to locate and avail yourself of the enlisted mess.

Durga politely declined joining you; showing a rather impressive queue of emails by way of explanation. You decide not to investigate if your report is the base of her support team’s sudden and urgent interest. When you mention your conversation with Hawke, she asks you to go over it with her when possible. You offer to message her a summary, but she insists that she’d like to hear it personally.

You wonder exactly how much detail to maintain about your assessments of her. That one’s going to be bizarre no matter how you approach it.

After enjoying something significantly closer to food than anything you’ve had in the past two days and a significant amount of the typical infantry roughhousing, you’re in a pretty decent mood. You’re certainly not out from under all the garbage hanging over your head, but there’s a comfort in returning to the norm for even a moment.

You arrange with Lis and Jennings to do a polish pass in the afternoon on the Knight after filling them in on their orders and “orders”. This leaves you with a few hours to play with before you get back on the clock.

>Visit Alex: If you’re going to separate temporarily, it would be good to touch base.
>Report to Durga: If she’s available, you can catch her up on what she missed. See what she thinks about the more curious elements as well.
>Call Miriam: You can schedule a wakeup call at the comms tent. Might check the censor too while you’re at it while you’ve cleared a bunch of the attention on you.
>Take a Personal: You’ve been running a mile a minute. Sleep’s fine but taking the time to decompress might also be good.
>Write in?

>>2811752

That's it for tonight. Next session Sunday 8/19. Shooting for 5 EST, but I might have to be flexible on that one. I'll try to run late if I start late. As always, Questions/Comments/Critiques.

>>2811763
Loving it so far, keep it up!

>>2811752
>Take a Personal: You’ve been running a mile a minute. Sleep’s fine but taking the time to decompress might also be good.

>>2811752
>Visit Alex: If you’re going to separate temporarily, it would be good to touch base.

>>2811752
>>Visit Alex: If you’re going to separate temporarily, it would be good to touch base.

>>2811752
>Take a Personal: You’ve been running a mile a minute. Sleep’s fine but taking the time to decompress might also be good.

Guys. We were explicitly told not to tell Alex where we are going.

>>2812159
We were told to tell her non specifically Warsaw.

I just want to do something famalam.

>>2812274
But why tempt fate?
.. I mean tempting fate could be really fun, but still!

>>2811763

Posting from an old laptop: I scheduled the next session during a 6 hour drive accidentally. Next session is being moved to Monday 5EST, with an immediate encore on Tuesday, because more weekly updates good.

>>2816142

Reporting in: Vote closes at 5:15 EST (As long as the thread doesn't suddenly poof.)

>>2811790
>>2812159

>Take a Personal: You’ve been running a mile a minute. Sleep’s fine but taking the time to decompress might also be good.

>>2811891
>>2811940

>Visit Alex: If you’re going to separate temporarily, it would be good to touch base.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2822756

>>2822756
>>2822843

>"Ghosting an comrade isn't ideal; We'll link up before we go off on our separate ways."

See you next thread.

>>2822861
Thanks for the good shit

>>2822861
New thread:
>>2823356