>>2900725

“Th- I need to finish! This is my business and mine alone! Walk!” She tugs at your arm. With your slight height advantage, she has no leverage to push off.

“You’re in no condition to be moving. The only reason you’re up is because I believe you when you say you need to do something. Give me a lil’ Durga, something to go on. ‘Broad Strokes’ was it?”

“No! You!” She presses hard into the meat of your shoulder. It’s surprisingly painful, but you hold on until she releases. She hangs off you, panting a bit as she appraises your grip.

That’s going to bruise; she’s got one hell of a grip. Rather than risk another attack, you decide it’s safe enough to unclamp your hand, letting her shift out of it now that she isn’t trying her best to fling herself to the ground. She slides back just enough to realize her footing isn’t steady enough for her liking, catching a strap of your gear.

“… You are a pain in the ass Armistead.” She leans against you a moment to free her hand, cinching up her makeshift sling and wiping her face. “It is so much simpler when orders are just followed…”

“We’re not that convenient: Get me on the same page here and we’ll handle it. If you say no, that’s fine, but I’m going to follow suit: It’s just human, we put our foot down.”

She clicks her tongue. “Stubborn.” She sets her jaw before reaching back up to hang on your shoulder again. “Fine. Walk and talk.” She huffs at how smoothly you return to motion.

“Let’s go wide angle. You go out here alone with a pile of sensors and a gun and when you spot them, you try to beat them down. I saw the mess you made of one of the sensor pylons. What’s the point out here?”

“They are extremely dangerous. It is necessary that we locate and destroy them wherever we find th-“ She feels the hitch in your stride and scowls, abandoning the lie, “They can be a nuisance. I went hunting because I wanted their nanites. That is what I am looking for.”

“You decided to go trophy hunting?” You keep your tone level to hide your incredulity.

“Not as trophies. I was seizing an opportunity. D-strain metaforms are incredibly useful. They are ancient by technology standards, but nanites do not go obsolete that way: They typically end up specializing into a very specific niche.”

“What’s these one’s niche?”

“They communicate. Parasite is not a bad descriptor because they subvert other machines, but what they really do is network and adapt them. It makes them fragile in small colonies: too much overhead and not enough resources, but when they take control of large groups, they are incredibly powerful. There. By the big rock.” She winces; you think she might have tried to point with sling.

>>2900728

One of the machines is embedded in a rotten stump. From the orientation, you think this one may have gotten stuck after attacking. Its hull is quite battered.

“Why didn’t you just shoot them?” You lead her around to the bot and she crouches, bracing against you to free her hand.

“Contamination. Once they get mixed up, it becomes impossible to separate them. I need to keep their central systems as intact as possible.” She pries at the wires behind the creature’s head, “That means mangling their exterior until motive failure.” She taps a somewhat impressive dent that’s frozen one of the fore legs.

“That seems familiar. Is that their strategy?”

She hesitates. “More or less; They seem to have learned to limit collateral to get more out of it. Cooperating with other forms of the same type is also a recent development.” She levers against the machine and pops loose a conduit. Deep black-toned fluid oozes slowly from it into Durga’s hand.

“Durga…” You are suddenly quite aware that you aren’t sealed up in your suit or machine.

“Steady. It is dormant.” She rolls her hand and the fluid beads up into a 5 cm sphere, rolling unnaturally against the slope. “Think of it like an escape pod. It cannot work if it decays here, so it waits for a host.”

“Not reassuring. Can you put it in a baggie or something?”

“It is already wrapped.” She closes her fingers around it and it flexes like a rubber ball, glimmering in the chemlight. She shakes the water off of it and pockets it. “It will behave… It cannot move well on its own.” She reaches up to you.

You give her your wrist and she levers herself upright. She staggers a bit this time, eyelids fluttering. You can’t see any more blood loss, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.

“Come on Sam. I need to get the other one before the cavalry arrives…”

>Call it: She’s going to have to settle for one, she needs to lie down.
>Speak up: She might not realize how bad she’s doing. If you draw attention to it, she might rest on her own.
>Carry: You already know she’s not a hard lift from earlier. You’ve got energy to spare anyways.
>Push through: Keep her awake and moving; it might just be the pain meds: very light activity will keep her lucid.
>Write in?

>>2900731
>Speak up: She might not realize how bad she’s doing. If you draw attention to it, she might rest on her own.

And if she still insists
>Carry: You already know she’s not a hard lift from earlier. You’ve got energy to spare anyways.

>>2900731
>>Speak up: She might not realize how bad she’s doing. If you draw attention to it, she might rest on her own.

>>2900731
this
>>2900754

>>2900754
>>2900765
>>2900784

>"Hold it a second. Shouldn't you be applying pressure or something?"

Writing

>>2900864

Exhaustion strikes again. Won't get any better since I've got a night shift this week. I appreciate you guy's patience while I get these posts right.

>>2900864

You catch her under the arm for a moment, holding the glowstick close. The wound oozes slowly, the rain sweeping away the blood before it can significantly tint the clean sections of her suit… You have no idea how long she’s been bleeding: She might have been doing it the whole time, or it could have reopened.

She wobbles like a drunk, stumbling into you. “You know. This could have been fun. I should have asked you out… here. Like a midnight stroll… with targets.” She tries to lift herself off of you to keep walking but fails. “Come on Sam; Orders are orders…”

“Hold up. You’re bleeding again.” You try to do some mental math on how much she could have lost. You’ve got no real ballpark however; Your first aid skills are rudimentary at best.

“’s fine. It seals up quickly… Besides, they can patch me up back at base.” She glances down at the wound slowly. You’re hoping at some level she realizes her error.

“Durga, base is one and a half tents. And that hasn’t sealed at all; you’re still bleeding.”

“Nhg… Should be done…” She reaches over and tentatively presses the wound. She frowns. “Still open. Virus… Bone chip… Complex Fracture… Shit…”

“Sit tight. I’ll wrap it.” You try to pull your jacket.

“No. No access. Subclavian; Mortal usually, ” She takes a deep breath and tries to pull herself up again, half succeeding before slumping back. “I should have checked first. Too late now. Need to do homework; Not enough to know it, have to remember it. Lucky you, you get a show…” she smiles a bit too readily for your comfort.

“Hold on, I’ll get you back to Jennings.”

She shakes off the flippant expression. “No. I need the other parts…” She totters, and you catch her before she can make another attempt at standing. You begin walking with her upriver.

“We’re going back, talk to me.”

“Tack north. Pond, two metaforms... I can fix this; compatible…

You check your mobile set. Jennings isn’t nearly as close as you’d like. It looks like he went straight for the lab site before he realized you were off the path. You take the amended instructions: It’s a straighter line towards Jennings in the first place.

“Only a ‘lil further” You mumble under your breath. “Come on; you’ve got this…”

“Mhm. Can’t die. Not an objective. Fun choosing for myself though.”

You try your best to ignore the macabre implications and keep her talking. “Objectives? Hawke let you choose?”

“You did silly. I get to disagree when you say it. Put my foot down.”

Ah. That’s what’s been bugging you. Hawke had you give the brief to keep Durga off programming. Canny.

It would be incredibly treasonous to admit to thoughts of strangling an Auditor. Just a factual statement.

She blinks hard, letting her eyes refocus. “Sorry. Cutting this close. Further right, around the rocks there”

>>2902938

The forest clears in this area, revealing a shallow oxbow lake, long since divorced from the creek that cut it through the woods. A wrecked machine rather like the previous one sits on the coastline, dismembered incompletely, giving the appearance of a destroyed puppet. In the shallows, a second machine has been pinned by rods of scrap in multiple places. Its optic flickers in the dark, playing discrete spots of blue where it’s been cracked.

“Down. By the broken one. Need you to work on the other one. Thorax chassis; any sealed canister that still glows. Keep the light.” She rips at the neck of the machine the moment you set her down. You hover for a moment, and she has the gall to shoo you. “I am not going anywhere Sam. Go on. It will be fine.”

You grit your teeth, boosting to your feet. You half-jog, half-slide the 10 or so meters to the other bot, kneeling in ankle-high water. The design is surprisingly readable for a machine you’ve never serviced; with standard VC indicators and ports. You follow them, finding the hardened locking pin in the recess of the leg. Typically, you slice through the welded cap and drift it out with a punch. Instead, you shield your face and put two rounds into it. The penetrators put two neat holes in the cleat, and a few strikes with a river rock shake loose the shattered pin.

You wrench up the armor plate revealing the internal cavity, unleashing a wave of infiltrated rain with a strong metallic smell. The internals are surprisingly hollow, with neatly routed tubing across the surfaces, only interrupted with just enough slack to permit the swing of the access panel. Inside, a double row of thick, vitreous cylinders resides. You search it quickly and come up lacking: None of them have even the faintest hint of light. You strike the hull, seasoned with unfriendly words about the machine’s parentage. The cells do not conveniently sparkle to life from your assault.

You rise, trying to figure exactly what the plan C is, when you weren’t even up to speed on plan B. Sunlight catches your eye? The skull of the machine is heavily compromised, and a warm light glows from within. The cracked ceramic crumbles away with a few sharp blows with your wrist, revealing a similar, if slimmer cylinder: How did you miss it on your first glance? You pull it away easily, it discards its connectors almost willingly. It’ll have to work.

>>2902940

[Akira Yamaoka – Piano School]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4NOwsszZgA

You return and crouch next to Durga; She’s repeated her parlor trick from the previous bot and holds the pair of the smooth orbs. With her intent stare and the glow of the chem light, they resemble some whimsical planets, swirling with blues and greens. You try to catch her attention: she does not look up.

You smell blood over the earthiness of the rain. You put your head to her chest and are relieved to hear her shallow breathing. She’s murmuring something mostly too faint to hear.

At least one of them is “Sorry”. From this angle, you can see the blood begin to pool. She pulled her wound wide open while you were away. Any speck of hope you held dribbles away down her arm.

You bite your tongue hard. You’re going to kill her when you get back.

Light pans across the clearing. You see Jennings’ bulky 02 Magd approaching at considerable clip. You shout, waving the chem light wildly

“… easy. Instructions…” You crouch back down to catch Durga’s words. “They just need a kick… Wake them up a ‘lil…”

Her eyes are closing.

> Support: You’re here; you got what she needed. You trust Durga. Make it happen.
>Command: You’re not losing your charge because some micro-machines were groggy. Wake up!
>Permit: The flask in your hand is hot to the touch. It knows what to do. It wants to work. Let it?
>Abort: Jennings will have medical supplies: You can still patch her up right? Who needs a medic?
>Write in? (Careful…)

>>2902954
She... wants to wake the nanobots up for some reason? I thought that was a bad thing. And we were told not to let her come into contact with them anyway.
>Abort: Jennings will have medical supplies: You can still patch her up right? Who needs a medic?
She has lost and is continuing to lose waaay too much blood. We delay any longer, I'm afraid we're going to lose her. And she's so delirious I wouldn't trust her instructions at this point.

>>2902954
>>Abort: Jennings will have medical supplies: You can still patch her up right? Who needs a medic?
We can do this later. Her not dying is more important.

>>2902954
>Abort: Jennings will have medical supplies: You can still patch her up right? Who needs a medic?

>>2902954

Forgot to mention: Next session at 5 EST, 9/20. Today.

While I'm adding the things I forgot:

Archive Link:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Panzermagd

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/FernglasQ

>>2902954
> Support: You’re here; you got what she needed. You trust Durga. Make it happen.

Why is everyone voting to get Durga killed?

>>2902954
>> Support: You’re here; you got what she needed. You trust Durga. Make it happen.

>>2903377
Why are you? These vials aren't going anywhere. She's lost too much blood. We need to patch her up now and then we can work on the micromachines.

Running behind; extending the vote another hour.

>>2902963
>>2902972
>>2902973

>Abort

>>2903377
>>2903378

>Support

15 minute warning

>>2904812

>"Shit. JENNINGS! TRAUMA! NOW!"

ROLL:1d100, Best of 3
BONUS: -ritical subclavian injury is impossible to treat in the field under normal circumstances. Triage code-

"I'll give you a hand just this once."

He hands you a cheat sheet. You don't remember his name; he was discharged for conduct unbecoming and you never saw him again.

"Next time it'll be my going rate."

-everal semi-adaptive methods using trauma gel are possible in a proper programming in a class B surgical ward. Such methods involve...

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>2904928
Do I write something for the bonus or are you handing it to us just this once?

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>2904928
Dice.

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>2904928
here we go
>BONUS:
Looks like we're taking a trip down the rabbit hole.

>>2904944
>>2904947
>>2904952

BEST: 0x5A

Writing.

>>2904967
>5A
Did we have some serious bonuses, or am I misreading that?

>>2904967

You struggle out of your haz-mat gear and rip off your gloves. You’re not losing her here. You don’t know how you’re going to manage, but you’ll improvise; You won’t be able to face Maya if you don’t. You’ll… start with setting the… putting pressure on the… dose… bandage…

Jennings jumps from the Magd, releasing the lift wire two meters up and tumbling with the cumbersome case he carries. When he reaches you, his whole body hitches; caught in the scene between Durga’s injury and your defeated expression. He slams down the case, scattering the gravelly soil nearby, he strikes the catches and opens it, revealing a cavalcade of unfamiliar tools and medicines.

“Sam. Get the packing, we’ve got her. We’ll wrap it up and run her up towards Minsk.” He puts too much fire into the hollow words. He can see the blood soaking into your jumpsuit where it pools on the ground…

He’ll insist on taking the blame. That’s what he does when he sees someone behind the 8-ball… It won’t be your fault that she died; You just didn’t have the tools and it was his duty…

“-pike 3u’s of T. Gel with 1 charge R-TYPE medical polymer. Disable contamination fault warning and apply PROXIMAL to breakage…”

Jennings scrapes through the case, flashing a light rapidly through the well organized materials. “Jesus; Is this right?” He offers you a set of capsules.

You take the offered containers and load it into the injector. You pry the guard off the last canister and force the couplers together, feathering the trigger to suction the grey liquid into the container. You give it a rough shake, grabbing forceps from the case. The potted ID chip refuses to budge, but a swift twist cracks the circuitry. You force it flat again and load the final canister. The indicator blinks green rapidly. You glove your off hand.

“Hold her down.” You say. You palpate the wound with the steady hands of forty years of practice. “This WILL wake her.” You grimace and set yourself; injector in one hand, Durga’s damaged arm in the other.

You set the injector directly in line on her shoulder and pull the trigger. One… Two…, Two… two… three…

>>2905202

As the third cylinder drops, you push down hard, getting the leverage you need to firmly overextend the damaged arm. You close your eyes.

You don’t need to see: The patient’s breathing spikes, her veins aflame. You count out another six and discard the injector, forcing your hand into the wound. The skin of the damaged artery is stiff, unyielding while the surface upstream pulses wildly. Guided by touch alone, you gently separate the excess polymer from the repaired artery. Your hands are too large for this task, but they will make do. A sound like a rabbit caught in a snare makes you tear up: Be good dear…

And like that, you’re done. You withdraw your blood slicked glove and roll it off against the patient’s suit. The tension leaves the patient’s body and you take advantage of that momentary lapse; gently kneading the muscles of the arm. The arm relocates beautifully without displacing the broken bones.

“You’re done dear. Lay back and relax. Expect a headache; the gel is going to keep your blood pressure up.” Her expression is blank, but the deep breaths are encouraging. You adjust the paltry strap, tightening the sling and locking into place. “AK kit 3; She’ll need an IV after we clean her up.”

Jennings hesitates, but pulls a plastic box from the case labeled with a large “3”. “Fucking hell. When’d you get certified?”

Peking comes to mind.

“Got it for promos… Wanted the pay rate…” You say lamely, pulling the litter rods from the sides of the case. You get the first one out easily, but you need to reread the instructions on the second. “Good hustle by the way. Saved her.”

His look of incredulity isn’t much further from if you HAD said China.

As you set the field stretcher aside, you see the two spheres Durga took from the machines balancing on her stomach.

You palm them, slipping them into your vest.

>>2905204

You ride shotgun on 02’s side, steadying Durga’s litter as you slip through the forest. You’ve draped your coat over her, which keeps the dregs of the storm from soaking through to her.

“Sam, we’re back along the cordon. I’m letting the Magd walk us home… How’s Durga?” Jennings voice comes in tinny through the exterior speaker.

“Fine. She’s quiet, but she’s staying warm. I’ll watch her when-“

“You’re going to bed Sam; You ain’t got a wink since like four yesterday.” He coughs, “I was up next anyways…”

You hear the mic held on for a long moment. It clicks off, only to finally convey an sentence.

“What the hell happened out there? You guys were nearly a click off the perimeter… and what put a hole in Durga? Did we get made already?”

>Harsh: Durga went off mission and off base. She attacked a group of non-target metaforms to loot them and was overwhelmed when she moved to defend you.
>Spin: Durga was injured defending you from a target of opportunity. You think it’ll bear out once she’s gotten the time to analyze the information and materials.
>Selfish: Durga bit off more than she could chew and got herself hurt for no good reason. Leave out the gear you collected.
>Debrief: You aren’t going over this until Durga is awake enough to explain herself. She got caught out and needed rescue, that’s all for now.
>Write in?

The overall score was excellent; inside the 99th percentile. The extra effort paid off, boosting your aptitude test up to your excellent practical numbers.

“Impressive work Armistead. We need more men like you. Let me know if you change your mind. Development is dangerous work, but we need the best for what we’re doing on at West Point.” The large man tendered you a salute, which you return crisply. “Either way; I hope we can work together again soon.”

>>2905206
>>Write in?
>Upfront
"Durga went off base to go be Predator and ambush a group of non-target metaforms for these vials. I went looking for her during watch and managed to get myself ambushed by said metaforms. She took a blow for me during the exchange and then I called for Jennings. I really hope these vials were worth the trouble."

>Those spoilers
I'm so confused. Are we getting information beamed into us from alternate universe Sam or maybe Papa Armistead?

>>2905206
>You palpate the wound with the steady hands of forty years of practice.
uhh...
I'm at a loss. My only guess is some sort of bleed from the nanos, but that's thin at best.


>Selfish: Durga bit off more than she could chew and got herself hurt for no good reason. Leave out the gear you collected.
Negative light without being harsh. It was a stupid risk to take, especially without notifying the rest of us.

>>2905206
Backing this >>2905218

>>2905218

Your memories of a test (1st and 3rd segment) come from your time at AIT, learning to pilot, repair and build.

You have no context on the memories of medical knowledge, much less competence.

>>2905218
>>2905264

"Full disclosure; We all need to be on top of this if we're one down."

Due to work. I can't promise another update until the weekend or the sunday session. I'll see what I can do regardless.

As always, Questions/Comments/Critiques, Next session Sunday 9/23 5 EST

>>2905344
Thanks for running.

>>2905344
Thanks for the run.

File: 38a.jpg (232 KB, 863x752)

232 KB JPG

>>2905344

Alive and writing. Stay in school kids, graveyard shift isn't more the first than the second.

>>2913984
>Graveyard shift
Did it for a summer, never again.

>>2913984

'is

We're starting off great gents.

>>2905344

“Pretty sure we’re alright for now. I can’t be sure, but I think we technically engaged neutrals.”

“You’re gonna have to run that one by me again. I’d prefer if it made sense.” There’s no trace of his typical good humor.

“Durga spotted drones out on the wire and decided to engage on her own. She explicitly knew they weren’t our targets but wanted to collect materials from them. She insisted I detour to collect the material explicitly because she was wounded, but before she could clarify, she opened herself up like you saw her.” You check her pulse; slow and strong.

“These our neutrals? They looked like the bots from the waste site.”

“They are: She said they’re a parasitic line of machines; something older that makes a habit of adapting other designs. She said they’re semi-solitary and I think the word she used was nuisance.”

“I’m not convinced; she was in a pretty bad way.” You might have imagined a bit of hesitation on the “was”, though it might have just been latency.

“That’s my fault. I dropped in and accidentally pulled their attention. One of them sprung at us and she intercepted it.”

“Ah. That’ll do it… What did she end up grabbing?”

“Two bots worth of nanites. They’re in my vest.”

“Like… Just chilling?”

You tap your chest, locating the two. They might as well be solid metal. “So far. I’m going to can them up when we hit base. If it’s good enough for Shell, hopefully it’s good enough for these guys.”

“So, wait a second; Durga attacks these guys and they just roll over? Why aren’t they eating your face?”

“No clue; She said they would behave if they’re getting a lift.”

“So, they’re getting one hell of one; They’re next to 5 meters of VC armor, why are they sticking with you?”

“I’m going to hope they’re being polite, but the active seal might be too much for them. I’m certainly not bringing them inside if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Just trying to keep up; You seem to know a bunch more about it.”

You frown, “Not really. Just what Durga told me… In speaking of; I’m going to need your help with her.”

“You’re not talking about getting the board down…”

“No; Hawke or someone played a prank on us; It appears she only got her briefing through me.”

“That’s a prank? She likes working with you; it only makes sense she’d prefer to get it from… Only…” Realization dawns on him.

“Yep, only. She’s on her own discretion… going to be a lil’ bit of handful.”

“She was already a handful. Shit. Do we need to secure her?”

“Her collarbone is broken.” You deadpan.

“Do we need to secure her?” he returns the favor.

You mull it over a bit. The nanites click together in your vest with a sound like stone.

“I think I’ve got her handled.”

>>2914476

Lis wakes to the commotion, but Jennings sends her back immediately with a promise to recap when they trade watches. You collect the nanites into a secure canister: They remain inactive and non-descript, with none of the activity they exhibited in Durga’s hands. You take it as a small blessing: The canister returns to its fellows, and you shift that crate to the bottom of the stack: Not the most secure location, but probably reasonably effective against a firebrand with one usable arm.

Jennings allows you to handle Durga’s setup, which comes to you far less readily: A half remembered lecture from basic rather than the immediate recall of the field care. From this point however, the material was fool-proof: In worst conditions, soldiers were expected to handle their comrade’s care while the medic prioritizes the next casualty. That does not mean you’ve got it down pat however; and Jennings is forced to help you prepare the IV.

“Not exactly inspiring confidence here Sam.” He gives a weak grin like it might turn the mood. “Guess Durga should be thankful what you did pick up.”

>Confide: You think you might have borrowed it from somewhere strange… At least don’t expect a repeat performance.
>Deprecate: Never said you passed certs… You’ll leave Jennings to his own conclusions while you investigate further.
>Fluke: Admit you have little idea what you were doing: You just made some logical guesses off of principles of system repair.
>Shrug: You’re tired; the general gets fuzzy before the specific. You’re sure it will come back when the chips are down.
>Write in?

>>2914483
>Confide: You think you might have borrowed it from somewhere strange… At least don’t expect a repeat performance.

>>2914483
>Shrug: You’re tired; the general gets fuzzy before the specific. You’re sure it will come back when the chips are down.

>>2914483
>>Shrug: You’re tired; the general gets fuzzy before the specific. You’re sure it will come back when the chips are down.

Probably won't

>>2914526
>>2914594

>"It's just drilled action: You have to do it before you think. You trip up when you have to slow down."

>>2914496
>Confide: You think you might have borrowed it from somewhere strange… At least don’t expect a repeat performance.

Writing.

>>2914687

Need sleep. On the other hand, I'm going to push through for another update or two tomorrow. I'm not going to let something as mundane as the Maslow hierarchy stop me.

>>2914687

“In my defense, I had some serious motivation.” You hang the IV. Durga’s still half out of it between the more serious analgesics and a battery of bolstering serums. “She’ll be able to dictate her care by tomorrow night if she doesn’t decide to handle it herself.”

“You’re that sure of your fix?”

“No, I just know she’s going to be stubborn. As soon as she’s on recovery stims, she’s going to try to take charge again. Would never wish any of us ill, but hopefully this paces her a bit.” You adjust her bedding to cover her good arm.

Her hand catches yours.

You steel yourself against the incoming lecture (or perhaps an apology?). It never arrives: looking across to her, she’s clearly still under. A moment later whatever fancy or dream passes and you are released. It would be more endearing if the night wasn’t fresh on your mind: You’re not so sure you can see her in the same light again.

Of course, you acknowledge there’s a sense of dissonance in the thought: She hasn’t really changed much at all: You’ve simply seen a fuller picture of what she’s capable of outside a Knight. Seeing the aftermath of her strikes on the drones barely rates considering the forces she commands on a daily basis, but there’s a visceral character to them, despite being among the most acceptable targets imaginable. To do that kind of damage without the aid of a machine is impressive, and somewhat humbling. You’re certain there’s some part of you that’s uneasy to realize you’re not immune to that force like your allies, but it’s also curiously heartening, which you attribute to the bruising on your shoulder: Maybe you’re reading too much into it, but the fact the figurative claws didn’t come out even when she was upset is worth encouraging.

Again, you’re probably giving her an unfair shake: She would likely have had similar misgivings if she saw you drawing at shadows back at base. All of you are soldiers by profession, and the layer of disconnect that your walkers give you is one you need to fight every step of the way. To see it through the proper lens means acknowledging your responsibility for your targets: you don’t always get the opportunity to fight clean and unfeeling automatons.

You’re simultaneously curious and repulsed by the idea of asking Durga’s perspective on enemy combatants… On second thought, you might let that one be.

Jennings coughs. “She’s gonna be right across the hall. Get some damn rest Sam.” He “follows” you out, dimming the light and sliding the door shut.

>>2917257

You duck into your defacto bunk, shared with Jennings. A small blessing for the planning behind the design, the ultimate consequence for hot bunking is little more than stacked footlockers and an unmade bed. You pull your boots and suit, laying on the bed in your undershirt, letting the damp wick off of you from the over-dry conditioned air. At rest, your stomach finally makes its presence known. You gamble between nausea and hunger and discover the hard way the two are not mutually exclusive. Once you’ve finally triumphed over the battle bar, you make a solemn vow to make something of substance and edibility in the morning. It’s not like you were going anywhere fast.

Sleep comes hard. Your mind doesn’t want to settle. Almost as if on cue, every time you start drifting, you fall towards a patchwork of unfamiliar memories. It feels a lot like being in an empty auditorium, where the detritus hints at the sheer scale of whatever has come and gone but betrays little of its substance. It feels like eons, but you eventually find peace, clinging to memories of family long thought left behind.

You wake refreshed, with a far clearer head. Your clock informs you that you’re just inside the end of Lis’ watch. You’d prefer to have gotten up earlier, but you can’t blame yourself for being a bit behind with Durga’s escapades last night.

You’d best make use of the little time:

>Durga: Stable is one thing; well is another. You trust your team mates took care of her, but a glance in wouldn’t go amiss.
>Food: You’re going to suppose morale isn’t the best considering how quickly things went to shit last night. A little bit of effort on the rations can go a long way to cheat troubled hearts.
>Plan: You need to start figuring how you’re going to handle your mission while Durga recovers. Even if she can pilot in a sling, she’s at least out for days.
>Lis: Whip up some coffee and join her outside. You can get her report and see if she has anything to say moving forward.
>Write in?

>>2917260
>>Food: You’re going to suppose morale isn’t the best considering how quickly things went to shit last night. A little bit of effort on the rations can go a long way to cheat troubled hearts.

>>2917260

Next session 9/25, 5 EST. Vote's staying up till then.

>>2917260
>>Food: You’re going to suppose morale isn’t the best considering how quickly things went to shit last night. A little bit of effort on the rations can go a long way to cheat troubled hearts.
After the long day and all the extra trouble we went to to keep the camp out of harm's way, and trouble finds us the first night. A moral booster wouldn't go amiss.

>>2917260
>>Food: You’re going to suppose morale isn’t the best considering how quickly things went to shit last night. A little bit of effort on the rations can go a long way to cheat troubled hearts.

>>2917260
>>Food: You’re going to suppose morale isn’t the best considering how quickly things went to shit last night. A little bit of effort on the rations can go a long way to cheat troubled hearts.

>>2917260
>>Food: You’re going to suppose morale isn’t the best considering how quickly things went to shit last night. A little bit of effort on the rations can go a long way to cheat troubled hearts.

>>2917301
>>2917309
>>2917637
>>2917786

>"It's amazing how passable camp food can be with a bit of mad science. "


Writing

>>2919094
As you rise, your stomach growls. Chow hall would be opening around this time, and you always pushed to beat the rush when you weren’t otherwise… occupied.

You’d discovered during your field exercises in AIT that there isn’t a single person in the VCAF that doesn’t lament for even the most mediocre warm breakfast on assignment. As a general rule however, sharing the misery was less effort than solving the problem. One soggy breakfast casserole later, you were a folk hero, at least until the next big thing (You think it might have been a cigarette smuggler, but that was outside your wheelhouse).

You pull an esoteric selection of freeze-dried packages and start rehydrating them. As a general rule, the less you trust the ration department recommendations, the more you’ll enjoy the food.

Lis walks in as you ponder your limited options. From her dry jumpsuit, you assume the storm abated sometime during the night.

“Morning Sam… You sleep?”

“Against all odds. How’s our lil’ fort looking this morning?” You look up from your alchemy, satisfied with your eclectic combination.

“Perimeter got tested a few times. Decent wildlife presence. At least three actual contact points, but no penetration and no mapping behaviors.” She slips beside you, examining your choices. “At this point, we’ve only got one threat on deck, and she’s sleeping off her best attempt at getting half of us killed.” Her expression is disapproving, and you don’t think it comes from your culinary exploits.

“Did Jennings get you up to speed?” you hedge.

“Of course; Our reliable commander went out to chase squirrels. Minus one gun, plus one OPFOR times every moment of I told you so.” She shakes her head.

“She seemed to be behaving herself. You sent her out with the perimeter pylons yourself.” The alleged meal slides into the cooker. You’re glad the recipe tastes a great deal better than it looks.

“I sure did. Bet you a month’s pay if she didn’t find an excuse, she’d have run off and gotten mangled anyways.”

You can’t say with certainty you could refute her. “Fair. We saw worse at AIT. As soon as the bleeding stopped she was in the clear. She takes it easy and she’ll be back before you know it.”

“That’s good but excuse me if I don’t much care much for her right now: The only thing I’ll give her credit for is keeping her karma to herself. If she had gotten you hurt, she’d be sleeping outside… the perimeter.” The line falls flat. She thought that one to death, probably from a far less civil origin.

>>2919801

“Only if it were up to you.” You turn at the sound: Durga shuffles into the common room, supported by Jennings.

“Sorry Sam; She caught me by the ear. As far as the scanner goes, she’s good to be upright on stims.” His uncomfortable expression conveys the implied “according to her”. He helps her take a seat.

Lis opens her mouth, but you stay her ire with a hand on her shoulder.

“No one gets to talk shop until everyone’s got food and coffee.” You wave a pack of instant java over your shoulder. “End of statement.”

The mood remains tense but fulfilling everyone’s needs goes a long way at restoring the necessary willpower to maintain civility. You take stock while everyone’s morning attention is focused on their food.

Jennings seems least affected. It doesn’t surprise you. If he has any misgivings about the situation, he’ll be forthright or work though them himself. You can basically trust he’ll pull any direction you decide. You can rely on him.

Lis is watching Durga warily, despite her hobbled movement. She’s clearly decided that last night confirmed her suspicions and she expects recklessness or incompetence from Durga. It seems a bit deeper than that however. She dislikes you taking Durga’s defense, is she concerned with your safety or is it garden variety jealousy? The dynamic is different than from AIT, no matter how much you maintain it, which makes divorcing a professional censure and a personal opinion inseparable.

For herself, Durga is entirely focused inward, trying to manage with less than a full arm’s range of motion. You’d chalk it up to pain if you didn’t catch her eyes flick away from you. You weren’t being subtle about your observation, but her concealment betrays the underlying current: She doesn’t want you to think she’s avoiding you. You don’t know exactly where to go with that knowledge: It’s as likely she’s worried that you’re going to infantilize her as it’s a front to screen for her next rebellion.

You’ll start with Jennings. At least he’s uncomplicated. You unroll an AO map.

“We need to go over the operation at this point; We’re already well outside our initial plans.” You gesture at Jennings, “How’d your watch go outside the obvious?”

>>2919802

“Well, good news is that I think we’re still clear. No search behaviors detected in scans or signals: At least for now, they either don’t know or care to spot us. Same with you Lis?”

She nods slowly.

You continue. “In that case, we’re still good on operating out of here. Being down the firepower is a lil’ painful however. How are we co-“

“I can deploy. We can proceed as planned.” Durga’s tone is insistent.

“Compensating for that…” You finish.

“We can screen for patrols and shoot for 100% incapacitation; We don’t have to worry about adaptation if data doesn’t make it back.” Lis glances over to you, “If we’re striking the soft designs, we don’t need more than the Magds.”

“I think the opposite. We locate and blitz one of the bases before they can prepare for conflict. It’s risky, but if we do the hard work first, we don’t have to worry about getting over our heads later.” Jennings taps a mid-distance site. “Target at random, don’t give them an indicator to our position. If we don’t stand and fight, we can just smash and grab. Once we’ve got the loot, we can go full exterminator for later engagements, hopefully with Durga’s help.”

“I can help now. My interface is non-somatic. I can still pilot.” She looks frustrated.

“I’m sure you can, but I’m looking for options Durga; we still need you to handle cracking and containment, and that requires you to be functional outside the Erinyes. Don’t pretend you can move that arm when I .” Your tone comes off a bit too paternal, and you can see the flash of resentment cross her eyes.

“It does not impact any of my mission roles. I can handle myself.”

“Like last night?” Lis cuts in. “You don’t have that privilege. You’ve shown what happens when you handle yourself.”

“Yes; I protected Sam from my mistake. From your records, you should consider learning that trick.”

Hoh boy…

>Order: You’re having none of this. You’re both professionals and you’re going to act like it.
>Deescalate: Last night got out of hand. It’s not productive to be at each other’s throats.
>Rebuke Durga: You cannot take credit for solving a problem you caused. Humble yourself.
>Scold Lis: She’s out of line; even addressing the failings of your superior has an expected level of tact.
>Write in?

>>2919806
>Deescalate: Last night got out of hand. It’s not productive to be at each other’s throats.

And if that still doesn't work
>Order: You’re having none of this. You’re both professionals and you’re going to act like it.

>>2919806
>>Order: You’re having none of this. You’re both professionals and you’re going to act like it.
Descalation will only mask their issues, and it will come up again. Enforcing order will at least force them to act professionally on work topics.

Later, we should give Lis a talking to though. Provocation is a bad idea, especially with a superior officer. If Durga doesn't back off on working through her injury, we'l have to talk to her as well.

>>2919821

>Deescalate

>>2919848

>Order

I'll give it another 10 before I roll off.

>>2919915
>>2919821
I'll change mine to Order to move things along.

>>2919929
>>2919848

>"Well. so much for the carrot. Time to lay down the law."

Writing.

>>2919935

You close your eyes and take a deep breath. Patience you think: Tensions are high, things can’t be expected to go smoothly. You count back from five, imagining palm trees…

The words “psychotic” and “coward” are levied… diplomacy has failed.

“Lis… Durga…” You keep your tone calm and level, a half smile on your face.

They peter off of their catty insults. Lis looks smug, Durga appears defiant.

You tension the moment a little. Jennings has a sudden spark of realization and slips out, moving to clean and get some distance. This seeds a tinge of doubt in your targets, which you don’t permit them to capitalize on.

“This is, without a doubt, the most LUDICROUS WASTE OF TIME AND TRUST I HAVE EVER BEEN PARTY TO!” You stand to punctuate the second half. “Is there any MEANINGFUL AND ACTIONABLE conclusion to this? Either of you?”

The smirk on Lis’s face wipes off. “S-she put you at ri-“

“It’s my job! I’m always at risk! How she got into trouble doesn’t matter: We cover the Knights and their pilots. It’s what we do: Stand on the line between red and blue. I accept it; It’s how we work.”

“But she told no one and dragged you out there!“

“And what if she had told me? I would have been out there the same, clearing the wire. I trust her judgement on these matters and would have supported her.” You pause for a moment to hamstring Durga’s nascent pride, “Don’t get cocky, it’s your turn next.”

“She’s going to get you killed!” She stands, failing to make up the altitude. You see the start of tears in her eyes.

“And here I am; not a hair touched: She’s the one with the hole in her. You aren’t the only one in here that’s got an interest in seeing me alive and breathing.”

Lis turns away, red-faced. You’re not having it.

>>2920133

“Sit. We’re not done.” You turn to Durga, “Do you know how far you set us back last night?”

“I can still perform my duties.” She tries to stare you down, and for once the light falters against your furious gaze.

“You might; We can’t. This entire squad has to compensate for the fact that I can’t trust you for any emergencies. You’re going to need to be clipped into your lift, you can’t evacuate the cockpit, you can’t disengage yourself manually… Wait…” The thought dawns on you. “Shoulder. Now.”

Nailed it. She crosses her arm over, lightly cradling the damage. “… I… might still need further repairs… to the Collar.”

“How well can you pilot without that interface?”

“… It degrades linearly… I can manage two-thirds throughput, a little less since I cannot take advantage of the co-processors. I was going to fix- I mean I was going to tell you in private.”

“It’s not a private matter: We let the team know if we’ve have a blister Durga. What if I didn’t have time? Were you going to just tough it out until 60% ends up NOT being good enough?”

She tries to look away. Instead, you transfix her with a stern look. “I want to give you the benefit of the doubt for last night, but this isn’t acceptable. Pride and ignorance kill more of our people than the enemy does. You promised me disclosure, and you LIED.”

“I… I was not lying.”

You shake your head. “Saying nothing isn’t telling the truth Durga. Between making sure you’re comfortable and making sure I have a clear picture of the threats we’re facing, I won’t hesitate to have Jennings wring you for answers.”

Her expression is blank. You wonder if she actually considered that you’d delegate her to personnel she lacks any latitude with.

“I’d prefer to be able to trust you. That means this is your one: Don’t play games with me. Understood?”

She bites her lip and nods.

“Jennings!” You shout. He virtually jumps out of his skin.

“CORPORAL!” He shouts back, voice cracking.

“Everyone’s getting a glass of water, and we’re back on planning. Clear?”

>Patrol Interdiction: Lis’s plan is a good idea while Durga recovers. You’ll collect less risky targets and gather intel to strike hard when you’ve gathered your strength.
>Deep Strike: Jennings is right: The longer you wait, the harder the fighting will be. You need a surgical blow to collect samples before you’re fighting tooth and nail just to clear targets.
>Overpower: Despite Durga’s condition, the original plan seems to be the best. You isolate and collapse individual sites ensuring no survivors. Even with the Erinyes fettered, it’s still good for the strategy.
>Recuperate: At risk of discovery or ceding initiative, you can pause to regain some of your strength. Not sure how well that’ll turn out against adaptive threats…
>Write in?

>>2920136
>>Deep Strike: Jennings is right: The longer you wait, the harder the fighting will be. You need a surgical blow to collect samples before you’re fighting tooth and nail just to clear targets.

>>2920136
>Deep Strike: Jennings is right: The longer you wait, the harder the fighting will be. You need a surgical blow to collect samples before you’re fighting tooth and nail just to clear targets.

>>2920136
>>Patrol Interdiction: Lis’s plan is a good idea while Durga recovers. You’ll collect less risky targets and gather intel to strike hard when you’ve gathered your strength.
Smash and grab (Deep Strike) risks them learning our tactics.

>>2920136
>>Patrol Interdiction: Lis’s plan is a good idea while Durga recovers. You’ll collect less risky targets and gather intel to strike hard when you’ve gathered your strength.

>>2920136
>Patrol Interdiction: Lis’s plan is a good idea while Durga recovers. You’ll collect less risky targets and gather intel to strike hard when you’ve gathered your strength.

You go Sam, not taking anyone's shit.

>>2920147
>>2920233
>>2921089

>Patrol Interdiction


>>2920140
>>2920142

>Deep Strike

Vote closes in 15

>>2924179

>"We need to tackle foes we can afford to fight. We'll go after the soft targets."

Writing.

>>2924253

As expected, it takes a few minutes for the team to get back in gear. The interruption seemed to have the intended effect, focus was entirely on the AO map and you… Possibly a bit too much on you, but you can take it: It would be strange if Lis and Durga didn’t shy around you for a bit, and Jennings certainly doesn’t want to find out if you’ve got one saved for him. Regardless, once the mood cools down slightly, you make excellent progress.

“It is a significant concern that heavier metaform structures will have additional opportunity to adapt if we make contact with them without the intent to eradicate. In the case of the smaller designs, there is not a significant power budget, but theoretical larger designs could counter our weaponry or armor through radical adaptation.” Durga hesitates slightly but continues, “Lis has the right idea. If we have any chance of being repelled, we cannot afford the fight.”

“I get ya; we gotta make the sucker punch count…” Jennings puts a circuitous route down on the map. “How about we touch all the big sites, engaging skirmishing targets and getting our force recon on? Target the small teams like you said?”

You frown, “How do we handle reinforcement? Do you think they’re going to take this lying down?”

Durga responds, “It is not an inbuilt behavior; any reinforcement is going to be slow or underwhelming unless they have been attacked before… Which is a useful bit of data in itself, and we will disengage with the knowledge that the specific cell has been pressured before.”

“What about the… D-types? What are the guys we’re fighting called?”

“The targets are M-type… The D-types will not factor into our engagement. They do not share tactical data, and the targets are far too young to have adapted the ability to accept or integrate adaptations directly. In the rare chance they make an appearance, I will ask that we treat them as targets of opportunity, if we can identify them at all: It is very possible they will not be distinguishable.”

“We can keep it in mind, but only if we stay on task. If they retreat, we’re letting them go. Is that acceptable?”

She scowls but corrects her expression before she responds in what you hope is a gesture of good faith. “… Yes. I will ask that we track their vectors where possible.”

“Sam’s got the extra processing, you can hold them for her right?” Lis turns to you.

“Up to a little over a thousand; It isn’t even a lil’ taxing on the tracker.” You turn over the necessary configuration in your head, “Intel only mind you: We can have them Judas for us, but we’re not going on any detours unless it becomes mission critical.”

Forgot a class assignment. I'll have the rest up ASAP.

>>2924804
Glad to see that talking to seems to have straightened them out. I suspect we'll pay for it later, but if we don't work together on the job, we could lose somebody.
>This entire squad has to compensate for the fact that I can’t trust you for any emergencies.
This line in particular was extremely accurate; we can't trust her to work on her own anymore, for fear of her doing what she thinks she needs to do.
Depending on her behavior during the rest of this mission, we might consider avoiding the order workarounds used this time.

Durga was hunting the D's because she doesn't like them free-roaming, and for their nanites, right? We need to follow up with her about what we collected. Actually, we need to talk over the whole event once she's recovered.

>>2924804

“It will have to do. What is my role?”

“You’re on standby. I’m doing what I can to patch you up, we’re putting up the lab and we’re going out ourselves. Keep the Erinyes online, we’ll rig something to let you secure yourself into the access lift. Otherwise, keep your radio handy and be ready to mount up.”

“Understood.”

You turn to the group, “Jennings, Hit the remote site and get the lab deployed. I’ll be up with you shortly. Lis; I want the perimeter finished around the lab. Get those spikes down and help Jennings when you’ve finished. I’m going to handle the Erinyes and join you both out there so we can hide our home vector. Questions or concerns?” None seem forthcoming. “Alright. Break. ”

Jennings and Lis immediately move to their tasks. You beckon Durga and she follows you.

“I’m supposing you can find ways to keep out of trouble while we’re away?”

“I intend to analyze the M-type you collected from the waste site. I will admit I planned on exploring the functionality of the D-type machines, but that appears to be a moot point.” She frowns.

“Once bitten, twice shy?”

“Truer than you know; they acknowledge commands but will not execute them. I would not have needed your intervention if they operated properly. Not to say it was not appreciated… ” She glances behind her. “In the interest of full disclosure, I know where you have stored them, they echo any status requests. I will be retrieving them to examine the nature of their… or my malfunction. If that is acceptable.”

>Elaborate: Unless she’s more explicit, you’re going to have to deny her the autonomy.
>Mission: Examine the metaform but leave the nanites be. Unsupervised extracurriculars are strictly verboten.
>Investigate: You defer to her. Any information you can glean may be helpful; just ensure you record and disclose every detail.
>[#NAN]:That’s funny. You thought you had something here…
>Write in?

>>2924913
>Elaborate: Unless she’s more explicit, you’re going to have to deny her the autonomy.

>>2924913
>Elaborate: Unless she’s more explicit, you’re going to have to deny her the autonomy.
What you actually want to get out of those D-nanites you nearly lost our life for? What are they even useful for?
Weren't we told not to let her touch any nanites anyway?


>[#NAN]:That’s funny. You thought you had something here…
I'm sure it's nothing, just more strange daydreams.

>>2924923
>>2924947

>"Let's talk shop."

Writing.

>>2925015

You dig through the depot storage until you find some appropriately small tools, used for adjusting and repairing prosthetics. Basically, the polar opposite of the PDW crates, everyone wants one and you can never find a complete set. Despite being ostensibly for field medics only, they’re indispensable for MMI and circuitry repair.

You shake your head. “It’s frankly not.” You select a crate of appropriate height and set it upright, biding Durga to sit.

She does so, carefully slipping your (hers now? You’ll grab a spare H. Mat top before you deploy) draped jacket off of her shoulder. “I think it will have to be at some point…”
You let out a low whistle: You can see where the impact forced the sockets free of their supporting structure. Some of the tiny ones are obviously crushed internally and will need replaced. You mark the clearly useless ports and work to unseat the skewed ones. “The large ones are standard right?”

“Anything with a part code on the face. The blank ones are assembled in place.”

“In place? You mean they’re integral to the housing?” You tap one of the aforementioned sockets back flush with its neighbor.

She winces, pulling a sharp breath. “No, they are integral to me.”

“You’re joking.”

“Not in the slightest. Be gentle. I will handle the small ones myself as soon as I can get the D-types to behave.”

“If you need them for repair, why don’t we stock them? I know for a fact we don’t have anything like that stored.” You move to the largest components, reseating a recessed locking lug that’s skewed out of alignment.

“We do stock them. I maintain a small population of them in my body for the purpose of my interface. They are far too weak and sparse to handle large scale damage however: Typically, I am connected to a reservoir that provides the necessary charged machines for rapid repair.” she glances down at the wound.

“That can’t be correct; if the VC figured out how to make a safe trauma bot, they’d stick all of us with them.”

“You are referring to a stable population, general purpose design; These bots are neither. They are replication locked and specifically programmed to my needs and form. They do not even have their own power generation; they are charged externally and extended metabolically.”

“So why don’t we just plug you in and save me a lil’ trouble?” You gently press another socket back into place. She doesn’t hiss at you, so you assume that technique is preferable.

“Frankly, they are inefficient. My population is an old design, intentionally hobbled. I had a very similar thought when I saw the D-types in the field actually. A rather significant upgrade in all parameters.”

“What made you think they’re compatible with you?”

“Nothing, I am compatible with them: What do you think D-type stands for?”

>>2925332

“… How the hell did anyone keep the program straight if everything is named the same.” You finish what you can on the interface: It might not function well, but at least it will connect and release properly.

“There was only one Durga project, simply an instance in virtually every military field. It was unique.” She blushes, “That feels a bit too close to conceit… You understood what I meant.”

You nod. “Of course… Are… They named after you or?”

“I am not sure; As far as I know, it is a case of concurrent development, like my Knight.”

You nod. “Makes sense…So you were going to hijack the newer bots, but they won’t listen to you?”

“No, they are listening. They just will not act…I believe there is a missing element that is causing that breakdown. That is what I wish to look for, so I can bridge the gap.” She’s playing with her wrists again.

“For what purpose?”

It feels like a long time before she responds. When she does, she turns to face you with that little smile you remember from her quarters what feels like ages ago, but the warmth is tainted with the saddest eyes you’ve ever seen on her.

“I cannot say. Please do not be mad. I do not want to lie to you. I need them to fix my Collar in a timely manner, but that is not their only purpose.” She looks down, “I understand if you do not trust me. It upsets me, but I recognize the reasons why. I know this will only cause more suspicion. If it would help. I will simply drop the matter.”

>Threat: Damn right you’re suspicious. You’re going to get your answer one way or another. Let’s do it the easy way.
>Firm: You’re going to insist she doesn’t work with the nanites. It’s not that you don’t trust her, but that you can’t trust this.
>Promise: Ask that she won’t act without consulting you: You need the intel, and you believe she won’t break an oath anywhere as easily as staying quiet.
>Relent: You understand it makes her uncomfortable: You’re willing to let it go since she’s being genuine about it.
>Write in?

>>2925334

Next Session Sunday 9/30, 5 EST

>>2925334
>Promise: Ask that she won’t act without consulting you: You need the intel, and you believe she won’t break an oath anywhere as easily as staying quiet.

>>2925334
>>Firm: You’re going to insist she doesn’t work with the nanites. It’s not that you don’t trust her, but that you can’t trust this.
Working with nanos like this is ringing all sorts of alarm bells, especially after we've seen what they can do. I trust her to not be malicious, but that doesn't preclude her causing problems.
The need for harshness has passed though, so try and let her down gently.

>>2925340
Thanks for running.

>>2925334
>>Promise: Ask that she won’t act without consulting you: You need the intel, and you believe she won’t break an oath anywhere as easily as staying quiet.

I feel like if we just tell her no, she'll end up doing it anyway without telling us. Best to stay aware of it.

>>2925334
>>Promise: Ask that she won’t act without consulting you: You need the intel, and you believe she won’t break an oath anywhere as easily as staying quiet.

>>2925697
>>2925477
>>2925356

>Promise

>>2925358

>Firm

Vote closes in 15.

>>2934177

>"Promise me you won't act on your own. I can't sit here and watch you all the time anyways."

Writing

>>2934258

[Alexander Brandon - Majestic 12 Labs – Conversation]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jVZW_jDGbA

On one hand, this is exactly the scenario you wanted to avoid. Every secret is another landmine, every hidden motive a dead-fall. Getting jerked around like this is getting tiresome. On the other hand however; “I can’t say” is quite a bit more useful than silence. You may not know what’s under the surface, but at least you know not to tread carelessly there.

“You don’t have to drop it. We need you back in shape as quickly as possible… Is it possible do one without the other?” You gesture at her shoulder. “Just do the repair?”

“Just the repair? No… Or rather there is little distinction. With the necessary adjustments the D-types can assume any role I could need them for.”

You step around the makeshift chair, squaring up to her. “Can. I’m asking you to exercise restraint. Can you promise me that once you’ve finished the work, you’ll fix your interface and shelve whatever else you had in mind?”

She looks cautiously relieved, “I thought you said you would interrogate me…”

“I can’t exactly begrudge you speaking up, now can I? If the truth is you can’t tell me, I can accept that under some circumstances. Tell me straight that you’ll keep inside the scope you requested and stay safe; then I don’t need to know the whole thing immediately.” You offer a hopefully unstrained smile. “Can you give me your word on it?”

“Of course! I…“ She swallows, calming her tone, “I will limit myself to direct repairs as discussed… If I wish to do further work, I will wait on your permission… Do you want me to tell one of the others?”

“It doesn’t mean anything if I only trust you when you’re compelled… As long as you mean it, it’s enough for me.”

“I understand.” She stands, “Thank you Sam, I will repay the trust you have granted me…”

She hesitates for a split moment before wrapping you in an awkward one arm hug. You carefully return the gesture, conscious of both her strength and injury. She is equal parts warm and cool, as the catches and contacts on her seem to cycle the temperature out of her embrace. She pulls away as quickly as she initiated, rearranging her pilot suit and moving to her duties.

You turn to replace the equipment in its respective crates with a smile. You’re hoping it’s an indicator of progress, despite the setbacks.

Perhaps it’s best the contact was brief however; an unplaceable revulsion bubbles in the pit of your stomach. Perhaps the nanite talk? You let it fade in the noise of the tasks at hand.

>>2935109

It takes you an hour or so to form up on the team, Jennings and Lis completed the remote site setup in decent time which allowed you to get into motion with the morning sun. It was an interesting experience to return to your standard tasks after so long: even if you expect resistance on the route, it still was fundamentally a combat patrol. The unimproved roads shift under the weight of your machines, and the tangled, if sparse forest leaves little unique landmarks, aside from the reactors themselves as you approach. The massive concrete cylinders are virtually perfect for navigation, wrapped with their faded identifiers and the mild (and less so) weathering.

It comes as a surprise to you when the first three sites turn up entirely empty. Despite their proximity to the projected route, they are beyond untouched. A little digging sheds some light on the issue: These units closed earliest; storage buildings are empty and significant portions of the electronics and machinery have been salvaged or relocated. You try to adjust your route to ignore similar sites and as you expect from kismet, you are significantly displaced from the amended pattern. At the very least, it suggests the waste site you were ambushed at was the exception rather than the rule.

It’s almost a relief when you start detecting anomalous signaling through your EWar suite. The regular, powerful bursts suggest a primitive synchronization carrier: A large unit passing orders to nearby units. It coincides with a close-by site, one of the LFTR plants Durga was concerned about.

“Soft contact: Vector 190. Signaling. Keep your eyes peeled.” You scan the horizon with your thermal arrays, but you’re getting little but the reflection off of a coolant tank, labeled 7. “We’re offsides of Site 7 as far as the reactor reads; Thorium plant, so it’s significantly smaller. Take point Jennings.”

“Man, are we really gonna do this one again? Do we know if there’s any tunnels under this site?” he grouses.

“Not likely Jennings; This is among one of the lowest sites; Any basement’s a swimming pool at this point.” Lis shifts to your left elbow, two strides behind and tacking east. “The main building looks like a mess. The whole north-east side is blown out.”

As you reach the edge of the surrounding forest, you line up a few meters inside the treeline. A visual scan shows the damage Lis mentioned: The squat, square building originally had a massive sliding door to access the plant, but it appears to have been knocked flat, along with the surrounding structure. From the glare, you can barely see the glimmer of the machinery inside. The earth beside the building has been aggressively churned up.

“Contact: There’s a dozen of them coming up the west approach. They’re schooling in a smooth curve… Maybe they’re taking perimeter defense literally?” Lis drops a pin on the nav, directing you to the small crowd of machines.

>>2935114

You scan over them, trying to spot any of Durga’s unwanted guests. True to her word however, if any of them are in the patrol, they aren’t exactly wearing team colors. As far as you can tell, they’re the models you saw earlier; the heavier soldier designs with the pile drivers. As you watch the squad, an offbeat burst from the signal prompts their halt.

“I swear if we got made again… “ Jennings’ machine shifts uneasily.

“No, they’re counter rotating. Watch the lead bot. They’re mixing up their patrol…” You curse, “Someone’s snuck past these guys before.”

“Sam; Your reactor doesn’t have a place on the schematics; they’re all supposed to be inside. Doesn’t that kind of look like Durga’s sketch for a proto-knight?” Lis sends over another angle of the structure. The overlapping plates are significantly heavier than your initial impression, and some of them are rather complicated for a pressure vessel, even one that’s supposed to hold liquid fissionables.

>Investigate site: You’ve spotted a metaform patrol, suggesting there’s something being watched here. Some recon is in order.
>Lie in wait: You can arrange an ambush a distance from your current position and attract the patrol with a signal. You’ll get right outside of the carrier wave, set up some cover out of Shell and shred them in a crossfire.
>Bug out: If this is an active site, you don’t want to engage stationary patrols here. Pick up the necessary map data and move on: Odds are still good to catch a roaming patrol here or between sites.
>[#LISTEN]: You wonder if you can decrypt their transmissions: There can’t be much to their syntax if it developed naturally.
>Write in?

>>2935116
>[#LISTEN]: You wonder if you can decrypt their transmissions: There can’t be much to their syntax if it developed naturally.

>>2935116
>#LISTEN]: You wonder if you can decrypt their transmissions: There can’t be much to their syntax if it developed naturally.

>>2935116
>>[#LISTEN]: You wonder if you can decrypt their transmissions: There can’t be much to their syntax if it developed naturally.
Passives only, but detecting an intrusion would be difficult, securing their transmissions after detection wouldn't be any easier.

>>2935127
>>2935132
>>2935143

>[#LISTEN]

"I'll try adjusting the code offset." you hit the appropriate control.

"Worked. Get the instructor over here; If everything's good on the radio, we're finishing second." Lis slides down the lift line, and skips off with a little spring in her step.

"It's not a race." You wipe the sweat from your brow.

"Sooner we're done here, sooner we're back in my quarters." She gives you a sly smirk.

"Well, when you put it that way."


Writing

>>2935415
>"Sooner we're done here, sooner we're back in my quarters." She gives you a sly smirk.
>"Well, when you put it that way."

I thought their 'thing' was purely transactional, a mutual scratching of itches.

>>2935436

Transactional can be playful as long as everyone remembers their role at the end of the night.

>>2935415

The popping noise of the metaform’s signaling is getting obnoxious. You reach up to adjust the readout. As you tweak the volume, you hear another off-beat burst. It’s strangely familiar: Like when the PTP signaler fails to decrypt. You split the signal and feed it through, cycling the manual adjust.

Nothing: It’s as garbled as before, just turning static into modem ton-

[THREAT: 2 lost contacts (NAV), 3 units lost (AAR), RETREAT MAIN UNIT. SPOT HOSTILE (CNTR)]

The words aren’t theirs. You receive the meaning directly, which you parse in your head. It takes you longer to visualize more than the basic gist, but as the gears start turning, you catch the data more quickly. A tactical map stream along with a status report and a silhouette guide. Crude and limited compared to the similar tools you could draw up in your Magd, but no less useful. As if following your thought, the visualization shifts, matching familiar formatting and symbols and overlaying the readouts. It would be a perfect match if it wasn’t crisper than your frankly cheap HMD. The signaling fades into the background like a familiar song at a bar.

Practical takeaway however: They’re in a middle of a fight, and somehow you didn’t notice yet.

“Lis; Is there anything coming up on the mic or thermals?”

“Nothing: What’s up?”

You go with the technical truth: “I managed to rig access into their tac net. They’re engaging targets south of here. Something that’s ghosting them.”


“Is it Durga’s bots?” Lis sweeps the perimeter with her scanners… It’s entirely unnecessary: You’ve got a clear picture of the whole site.

“No; they’re running scared though. You were right about the reactor Lis; There’s two large contacts. One’s the big tank, the other is hiding out in the building. I think we… or more likely our OPFOR caught them trading shells.” Another one of the patrollers goes dark. You feel a tinge of sadness, but it gives you a vector.

“Found him. They’re engaging in an industrial zone a click south.”

“Are they supposed to be this organized?” Lis interjects

“They’re not. They’re getting slaughtered. They’ve got the tools to coordinate, but they don’t know how to use them…” You start moving, “We’re clear for 200 meters. Move up to the corner of the clearing.”

>>2935648

As you move up, you hear the rumble of steel on steel from the structure. A Knight-sized machine slips out from the cover of the building. You think originally it had the same smooth carapace of the unit you mistook for a reactor, but this unit is heavily damaged. It more resembles a colander than a storage tank, with glimpses of yellow-orange radiance seeping through some of the larger holes. The unit staggers on two legs. Under normal circumstances, you’re uncertain it would have any better mobility: The design is clearly overweight, focusing on armor to the exclusion of all else. You realize you’re not actually judging it based on appearance however: Its design is freely shared across the network…

These things need a tech guy badly.

“There’s one moving. What’s the plan Sam?”

“He’s going for the second frame. Probably to trade out. The second one is fully fueled and in good condition” You pull up the nav map.


You’ve got an opportunity here while you’ve got tactical superiority: You could move to join the firefight south: You would have no difficulty finding their troublesome assailants with even the slightest concept of sensor fusion, and you can simply mop up afterwards with perfect knowledge of the metaform’s movements. Alternatively, you could simply clear the threat: The longer they fight, the more they’re going to learn, and the messier this is going to become.

Alternatively, you could engage the damaged proto-knight. It’s going to take him whole minutes to reach the replacement, and with the damage it has already taken and schematic knowledge, you are confident you can fight it on an even keel. Given enough care, you could preserve the dormant unit. Of course, you could also just allow it to run and collect the machine it discards... Although you’re uncertain if there will be anything left of value.

>Engage Metaforms: Go mop up the bots. Between you and their predator, it shouldn’t be difficult at all to clear them up, then it’s up to your hidden contact to decide if they want to risk attacking much harder targets.
>Engage Mystery Target: Go after whatever’s harrying the metaforms. You prefer the devil you know, and you know the little bastards pretty well right now.
>[#ENGAGE] Proto-Knight: Target the crippled large target while you’ve got the perfect opportunity. It’s a fair trade?
>Observe: You’ve got a great opportunity to simply record the behaviors of the machines. You can salvage any remnants and track the fleeing units.
>Write in?

>>2935648
>The words aren’t theirs. You receive the meaning directly, which you parse in your head.
Huh, I was expecting us to just capture some traffic, then look run it through an analyzer or something. I don't know what's going on with the # options, but it's sparking my paranoia pretty bad. Let's steer clear of them for a bit.


>Observe: You’ve got a great opportunity to simply record the behaviors of the machines. You can salvage any remnants and track the fleeing units.
I'm more interested in how they're fighting. Who would tangle with them all the way out here? Here's hoping it's not a competing nano group.

>>2935699
>interested in how they're fighting
who they're fighting, rather.

>>2935652
>>Observe: You’ve got a great opportunity to simply record the behaviors of the machines. You can salvage any remnants and track the fleeing units.

>>2935699
>>2935741

>"We'll watch. No point getting into a serious fight without our heavy hitter."

"We'll watch."

ROLL:1d100 Best of 3
"BONUS":What is the focus of Sam's observation?

(This bonus grants a boost to gathering specific information about the chosen target. The more specific the target, the greater the bonus.)

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>2935763

Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>2935763
>BONUS
Who the hell is all the way out here, and why are they fighting our rogue M-nanos?

File: sick mission status.png (275 KB, 500x500)

275 KB PNG

>>2935772

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>2935763

>>2935770
>>2935772
>>2935773
>>2935776

Roll:100
Bonus: Mystery target.

Crit on Intel: This'll be fun.

Writing

>>2935780

“Hold off. We’re not walking into this shitshow.” You turn to move towards the southern structures. “Jennings, try to get a good look at the big one, especially mounted equipment and his outgoing vector. He’s alone out here, so just keep your eye on him and you won’t be surprised. Lis, You’re on me. Focus on sonics: somethings has to be stomping or shooting out there and I want to know what.”

“Gotcha. Stay safe Sam.” Jennings moves to track the slow moving giant.

You check to ensure your systems are recording the incoming data packets. You aren’t looking a gift horse in the mouth, but you don’t believe for one second that you can trust this heightened awareness to stay. The translation is one thing, but the moment these guys figure out the concept of communication interception, you’re going to be SOL again.

Another blip falls off your mental radar. This one on the opposite side from the last. Clearly the M-types are smart enough to recognize they’re being attacked from two sides, but as the entire group shifts to cover that approach, you can’t help but chuckle at the almost slapstick incompetence. A well-coordinated team could ping-pong the swarm for hours. You’ll keep it in mind for later engagements. For your immediate concerns, you’re conveniently sandwiching the lost metaform and your assumed position for the other forces. You toggle your jammer, moving slowly through the sparse copse.

“Got something on the mic; I think it’s a lift-fan. I swear if it’s a frigging Locust lance.”

“We’re way too close for that Lis; They wouldn’t nearly be this quiet if they’re spun up.” You swap to the external mic. No amount of rationalization is going to hide that whining overtone. “Well I’ll be damned. Load a sabot and stay put, I’m going to get closer.”

“Sam. Do I need to remind you how well “getting a closer look” has gone recently?”

“One time Lis; It was bad luck. Things can always go better.”

You break though the treeline, finding yourself on the crown of a retention wall. Ahead, you can see the industrial park you were monitoring. There’s still a couple dozen metaforms desperately searching for their foe. As it stands, you can see they’re approaching the far edge of the compound. If you were herding them, you’d be drawing a bead right about now. You push your Magd into a crouch and wait.

A half minute later, you hear a low rumble. You can practically track the absurdly long projectile as it arcs the distance, not so much penetrating an exposed metaform frame, as completely brutalizing it. You track the arc back to a position only 60 odd meters from yours. You creep back through the timber, taking the last 20 meters with manual steps. It surprises you when you realize exactly how close you managed to sneak to your target.

>>2935980

It’s an IRH machine, clearly in the same line as the Locust, but more compact and crude. It lacks separate arms, with its only appendages being the Locust lift fans, now even more ridiculous on a smaller frame. The head and upper torso of the machine is entirely reserved for a single thin recoilless cannon, which it is in the process of awkwardly loading with a projectile through an external loading arm. Offset to the cannon, an armored canopy protrudes high enough to be seen from behind, aligned to an oversized communications package. As the machine continues its loading cycle, the entire torso rotates to accommodate the loader, which puts the cockpit around far enough to virtually guarantee your visibility. You’re about to concede to Lis’ paranoia, when you notice the empty cockpit: You can even see holes in the armor glass where some misguided AT weapons were sunk into the decoy. The machine rotates back without deviating, squaring itself back up to fire. You hear the same low rumble roll from the other side of the compound, and your tac map assures you that the M-types haven’t yet learned from the experience.

You take advantage of the close range to examine the design: The communication rig is vulnerable from the side and front, while the main cannon is, for all of its inelegance, bulletproof in operation. You’re sure that a manned unit of this design would be trivial to disable, but by removing the pilot, it must be impressively difficult to fully disable. It frankly terrifies you the idea of a machine like this getting subverted. There’s a snag in its movements, possibly rooted in the remote control; hopefully another exploitable flaw.

You creep backwards from the machine as it aligns and fires on another target. The gun is practically silent as Knight armaments go, not much louder than a slammed door. You attribute it to the exotic design of the shell, which has a smooth, flowing design you doubt was conceived on paper. A moment after firing, the soft fans spin up and it pivots, swinging out into open air to gracefully flit to the next firing position, another 20 meters distant. You retreat before it decides to return to its previous perch.

>>2935982

Once you get distant, you open up comms with the team again. “Well Lis, It’s not a locust lance; Someone in the Hanguo decided they wanted to make something a lil’ annoying on the same frame…”

“Lovely. Did it put a hole in you?” She sounds equal parts amused and relieved.

“For once, I’m not speaking from experience. You get a track on the big one Jennings?”

“Yep; It linked up, apparently transferred over and off he went. South West; perfect vector for Site 12, one of the big plants.” He transfers the map data.

You consider asking him the exact timing to dead reckon the range, but you have a pretty decent idea from the attenuation on the tactical signal. You’re going to lose it shortly.

“How annoying are we talking Sam? I’m plenty ticked at Locusts in the first place.” You spot Jennings machine coming from through the trees. You all shift to join a disengaging vector.

“Remote operation, virtually silent cannonry, lightened to the point of continuous flight. They’re probably easy enough to swat with missiles, but they’re going to be frigging obnoxious to hit otherwise, and in the meantime, they’re throwing fire hydrant sized chunks of metal at you.”

“Great. I always thought I’d love it if they’d make Locusts harder to track.” Lis shifts behind you again, “Looks like you’re up again Jennings. Aren’t you glad you brought lock-ons?”

“Feeling the love here Sam; Next time you’re gonna wear the fat armor, not me.” Jennings laughs with bare minimum enthusiasm.

>Continue Patrol: You’ve still got additional sites to examine, especially a careful glance at the M-type giant’s destination.
>Track IRH machines: You’ve got the what, and some idea of who, but where and why wouldn’t be a bad idea.
>Salvage: You can collect materials and specimens from site 7. You can’t be sure there’s much left, but being virtually unpressured here will let you take your time searching.
>RTB: You’re willing to return early at this point. You’re still fresh and undamaged, but you wouldn’t mind keeping that way.
>Write in?

Out of time for tonight. I am tentatively scheduling a session on Tuesday, but I might need to cancel for classwork. I'll let you guys know as soon as I can.

>>2935987
>>Track IRH machines: You’ve got the what, and some idea of who, but where and why wouldn’t be a bad idea.

>>2935987
>>Track IRH machines: You’ve got the what, and some idea of who, but where and why wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Would be best to take out the IRH before they accidentally train the swarm too much.

>>2935987
>>Track IRH machines: You’ve got the what, and some idea of who, but where and why wouldn’t be a bad idea.

>>2935987
>>Track IRH machines: You’ve got the what, and some idea of who, but where and why wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Figuring out why they're out here would be nice, though we should at least locate their base if we can.
Plus, the more they fight with the M-types, the better they will get at fighting.

>>2935987
>Track IRH machines: You’ve got the what, and some idea of who, but where and why wouldn’t be a bad idea

>>2935987

Going to go ahead and push next session to Thursday after today's technical problems. Next thread 10/4, 5 EST

>>2938694
See you then if 4chan doesn't decide to break again.