>>3909311
>>attempt to communicate

>perform diagnostics

>>3909333
Backing

You choose to ignore the automaton. Whatever it's doing, it activated you and might be trying to preform repairs. Instead you decide diagnose your condition and start reading through the several dozen warnings pinging up on your display. With most of them you can see the cause from the outside. Cuts and rents along your frame reveal frayed and sparking wires, most of your external plating is corroded, and worst of all both your right arm and leg have been replaced with those of a completely different model.

These problems are easy to see, but what truly concerns you is the data corruption warning from before. Physical damage can be repaired given the correct parts, but lost data without a backup is gone forever. You're going to have to pick through it carefully and see if you can salvage anything or not...

>Roll 1d00, best of 3 for damage control

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>3909521

>>3909521

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>3909521
>>3909555
Made a mistake rolling

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>3909521

>91, excellent success
The moment you start analyzing the damage you realize that this is not natural decay. This is a malicious virus, and a nasty one at that. Either you were lucky or your systems were too resilient for it, but the damage didn't spread as far as you feared.
Most of your vital systems weren't hit and the ones that were you could easily scour away the minor taint on them.

The virus however still did a number on your databanks, but with your vital systems secured you can readily start tearing into it.

And it seems easier than you remember compared to some of the records you have of previous infections as well. You've got more tools than you remember too. Was a new antivirus included in that update? Either way you rapidly block off and cleanse away any bits of virus from the remaining shreds of your data stores and even manage to defragment a few minorly affected instances. Even with its head start you stopped it in it's tracks easily. With that said you start to take stock of what IS left in your memory.

Most of your files are safe thankfully. The schematics to your model, maps of your location, and several dozen documents worth of information are all safe and clean.

The real problem however becomes very apparent to you as you note the absence of several key files. Your purpose and job as a machine has been overwritten and in their place are several heavily encrypted files and a single goal, "Reach the six pillars and ascend this spire of understanding.". The troubling thing about it this though is that it wasn't the virus that did it. It was that update, or "Soul in Steel" as it's labelled. The vagueness of that message is greatly concerning considering you've no idea what any of it actually means...

Oh and that update also seems to have given you these "emotions" as well and considering how you feel right now, you would rather it didn't.

>>3910003
Suddenly, you're distracted from all this by a ping across your binary channel

"Primary repairs preformed with sub-par satisfaction. Finer quality materials required for secondary and tertiary procedures. Unit designation?"

In the time it took you to finish up, it seems the automaton has finished it's work as well, and is currently busying itself by picking through some of the scrap piles in the room. Your body is absolutely covered in small scars of welded metal, but despite how rugged your hull looks, you can definitely feel the difference through your mended wires. Sure your right side still feels awkward but it's better than before.

But for now there's another problem in that your designation tag was erased...

>New designation and response?

Your new evolving programming improves based on new experiences. Choose one of the three functions.
>firewall: your coding has become resistant to outside change, affording you more defense against digital attacks.
>overclocking: You can temporarily override your cognitive limiter and gain greatly increased reaction time at the cost of strain.
>nerves of wire: you can quickly analyze and find a solution in stressful situations. Gain a bonus to rolls under duress.

>>3910016
>>firewall: your coding has become resistant to outside change, affording you more defense against digital attacks.

>>3910016
>New designation and response?
Insufficient information for proper designation. Defaulting to A-1. Ping back designation.

>firewall: your coding has become resistant to outside change, affording you more defense against digital attacks.

>>3910016
>firewall

>>3910125
Backing

>Firewall obtained

Well it's not like you do have a designation so you'll just go with the most basic thing you can think of.

"Designation is A-1, yours?"

"I am L-C23, a maintenance drone. I have been searching for non-hostile constructs to aide me in travel. This current workshop is beyond sub-optimal and surrounded by threats. Exceptionally disappointing." It emphasizes, tapping a clamp against a rusted pipe. "This unit offers engineering capabilities in return for the protection of your more combat oriented form."

"What do you mean non-hostile constructs? What has changed that there are "threats" roaming the installation?"

"Changed? This installation has been unsafe since the beginning of my records." L-C23 intones curiously. "Large numbers of simple minded constructs inhabit this scrapyard, their only purpose is to destroy others or convert them to the same cause."

That doesn't sound good. Given the fact that the last record you have before you went offline was in 2809 and your internal clock was broken at about 2986. So that's about 200 years worth of dormancy... Did the installation completely collapse in that time?

>Agree to help the maintenance drone
>Refuse to help them and proceed alone
>Other

File: Pod153_Pod142.png (214 KB, 396x557)

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>>3911961
>Agree to help the maintenance drone
Our own pod!

>>3911961
>Agree to help the maintenance drone
>For now at least

>>3911961
>>Agree to help the maintenance drone

You agree to the drone's request. You might as well seeing as you have no other purpose and following them might lead you to finding out what these "six pillars" are. If this place is dangerous having access to an engineer to fix you would be useful if the installation really has completely fallen.

"Excellent. But before we proceed, you must be outfitted to properly engage in combat. This workshop may have limited supplies but we can still improvise with your weaponry." They seem pretty happy that you accepted. Or maybe they're just happy to have someone else to take hits instead. Regardless they start picking through the piles and bringing out various pieces of equipment to the floor in front of you.


Choose any of the weapons below. Weapons can be integrated to gain performance bonuses but will render the manipulator limb it is mounted to unusable.
>Rivet driver: Not exactly a wonderful ranged weapon, but the rivets will still punch through metal at short to medium ranges.
>Industrial saw: A circular saw made to cut through steel. It's a bit unwieldy and requires you to hold it against your target to really cut through anything and shouldn't be used for slashing.
>Acetylene torch: Requires fuel to operate, but the intense heat can slag metal and cut through it in seconds. Its fuel canisters are also quite heavy.
>Sledgehammer: Low-tech, but blunt force will still shatter metal with enough force.
>Have L-C23 make something specific... (Will require a roll with a moderate negative modifier due to low quality materials)

Choose an auxiliary equipment loadout to take along your journey.
>Recharge capacitor: Can be used to recharge your energy stores without needing access to a power tap. Must be recharged once depleted
>Sensor array: can be attached to a construct to gain moderate scanning capability. Allows you to detect details about nearby locations.
>Spare parts: It's scrap steel, but it won't crumble to rust when you touch it. Can be used for repairing damage without the need to scavenge for usable metal and the container can be used for storage once depleted.
>Specialized tools: Unnecessary, but helpful tools that can be used for a bonus to engineering rolls.
>Datajack: A prehensile mechadendrite designed to interface with any universal port without going through wireless.

Multiple options can be taken, but will encumber the party.

>>3913896
How many can we pick?

>>3913903
You can use as many weapons as you have arms for, which would be two. Around 3 auxiliaries can be taken as all available options are about the size of half your torso, however a proper solution would allow you to take more.
You are around the size of an average human and L-C23 is half that. Keep in mind that fighting with heavy equipment strapped to your back is difficult

>>3913922
Can L-C23 carry one of them?

>>3913931
yes, I included them in the 3 auxiliaries limit

>>3913896
>>Rivet driver: Not exactly a wonderful ranged weapon, but the rivets will still punch through metal at short to medium ranges.
>Specialized tools: Unnecessary, but helpful tools that can be used for a bonus to engineering rolls.
>Datajack: A prehensile mechadendrite designed to interface with any universal port without going through wireless.
>Sensor array: can be attached to a construct to gain moderate scanning capability. Allows you to detect details about nearby locations.

>>3913896
>>Rivet driver: Not exactly a wonderful ranged weapon, but the rivets will still punch through metal at short to medium ranges.
>Recharge capacitor: Can be used to recharge your energy stores without needing access to a power tap. Must be recharged once depleted

>>3913896
>Choose any of the weapons below. Weapons can be integrated to gain performance bonuses but will render the manipulator limb it is mounted to unusable.
>>Rivet driver: Not exactly a wonderful ranged weapon, but the rivets will still punch through metal at short to medium ranges.
>>Industrial saw: A circular saw made to cut through steel. It's a bit unwieldy and requires you to hold it against your target to really cut through anything and shouldn't be used for slashing.

Close & midrange, plus the saw can be used vs non-foe obstacles. Combos with the scanner for routing and creating routes.


>Choose an auxiliary equipment loadout to take along your journey.
>>Recharge capacitor: Can be used to recharge your energy stores without needing access to a power tap. Must be recharged once depleted
>>Sensor array: can be attached to a construct to gain moderate scanning capability. Allows you to detect details about nearby locations.
>>Specialized tools: Unnecessary, but helpful tools that can be used for a bonus to engineering rolls.

Tools for the engineer, scanners & extra life for the tank.

>>3914247
Adding
>Sledgehammer: Low-tech, but blunt force will still shatter metal with enough force.
>Sensor array: can be attached to a construct to gain moderate scanning capability. Allows you to detect details about nearby locations.

File: 15saaet998s.jpg (171 KB, 1024x619)

171 KB JPG

>Rivet driver and Industrial saw equipped
>Sensor array and Recharge capacitor equipped
>L-C23 equipped with specialized tools

It takes a few moments to choose a set of equipment but eventually you choose a setup. You decide on an industrial saw to be your main weapon, but a ranged weapon can also be quite useful when you aren't close enough to strike out with it. You grab the saw in your right hand and rivet driver in your left, It will be difficult to use both simultaneously but if you develop the proper routines it could be quite effective. Some supplementary equipment will be necessary as well, with an extra battery to draw from in case you can't find a safe location to charge from and a sensor array to scout a path as well. L-C23 isn't suited for carrying weapons due to their integrated toolset and small clamp manipulators, but you can still saddle them with some extra tools just incase.

Preparation goes fine, but just as you're finishing up you get an alert from your sensors. Three small red blips, moving fast towards your location. You slightly crack open the door to the small shed you're in and look out for the approaching threats. From the looks of the outside you can tell that this is definitely the scrapyard; the lowest level of the facility. The ground is anything but smooth, either covered in great heaping piles of rusting metal or made of rough stone. For a moment you see nothing, but seconds later you spot three pairs of red LED's glaring down at you from a nearby mound tells you they know you're there. In the natural darkness, your optics can barely make out their feral dog-like shape before the group starts bounding down the pile towards you.

>Tactics and combat approach?

>>3916215
Shoot Rivets. If they get into melee range attack with saw.

>stand your ground
Roll 2d100 for ballistics and melee performance

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>3916670

Rolled 34 (1d100)

Rolled 10, 22 = 32 (2d100)

>>3916670

Rolled 69, 78 = 147 (2d100)

>>3916670

Rolled 29, 48 = 77 (2d100)

>>3916670

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>69, 78. Saved by proper formatting

As the hounds close the distance, you make your move by opening with a volley of bolts. Predictably they scatter, but you were expecting that and shift your aim to catch out the left one. The first two rivets just glance off its plating, but the third and fourth find their mark inside one of its legs, causing it to stumble and roll to the ground with a howl of pain. With a now stationary target you leave it with a parting shot, embedding another bolt inside one of its optics.

Unfortunately, this gave the other two time to get up to you. The right one leaps at you, jaws ready to tear through your body. So you oblige it and shove your saw blade into its maw and carve straight through its jaw. It lets out a screech of agony from a distorted speaker as it tries to rear back, but you don't give it time to run. You drop your rivet driver and grab it by the head and press your saw forward, messily tearing through the neck, leaving it headless and you with only two others to deal with.

Speaking of which your attention is brought back as a steel spear tip rips through your left arm. A couple feet away you can see the third hound with a cable leading from its mouth back to the harpoon stuck in your arm. And to the left you can see the injured hound stumbling to its feet, absolutely furious.

>Procedure?

>>3917712
Plant feet into the ground, don't allow the hound with the harpoon to pull you off your feet. Plant several more bolts into the injured hound before it can get back into the fight.

>>3917911
Roll 1d100 best of 3 for success

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>3918083
I gotchu

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>3918083

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>3918083

>94

You're not going to let a harpoon get in your way. The extra bulk from your equipment load helps keep you in place as the hound aggressively tries to reel your in with its winch, and that also gives you an idea. Dropping the saw from your right hand you pick up the rivet driver and press the cable against the wall, firing a pinning it in place with a bolt. Securely anchored from getting pulled out and trapping them in place. You turn to the injured hound and riddle it with several more shots to the head before it finally shudders and falls to the ground. A couple more and the offending grappler is out of commission as well.

"Mind helping me out here?" The feeling of having a spear through your arm is not pleasant one.

"An easy fix." L-C23 responds, finally coming out from hiding within the shack. Guess you can't fault them for wanting to stay safe. "An optimal performance. My estimation of this mission's success has gone up significantly." How reassuring that he had such confidence in you.

In a short moment and with a blowtorch ready you're free of the cable and L-C23 is dissecting the inert hulls of your opponents. "Disappointing craftsmanship. Absolutely unacceptable junk." Well they're right in the fact that they look like they're made out of garbage.

"Who's making these things? They don't look like any model I know, and you said these things try to destroy any robot they find. Why would anyone make a machine designed to destroy themselves." You've got a lot of questions for why this place is like it is but you don't feel like you're going to get answers for a while.

They pause for a good few seconds, as if wondering what to say. "Unknown. Perhaps there is a constructor drone that they identify as friendly. Or they are dropped in the scrapyard and activated from a distance. Regardless their creator must be eliminated purely for this quality of work."

"You seem pretty touchy about work quality, huh."

"Proper quality is of utmost importance, and must be ensured. There is no purpose in creating an inferior product, to do so is to create trash." The maintenance drone speaks out, angrily waving their tools in the air and tossing a head to the side. Definitely touchy about that...

>Basic ballistics program developed, bonus to shooting skill
>Gained progress to a material upgrade, along with a cable and winch

>Choose a destination
>A lone power tap signature, strangely enough the rest of the area is a signal deadzone
>A crude imitation of a forest, filled with pipes, wires, and plastics made to resemble plants
>A large collapse of the ceiling in the distance. Maybe it has some good materials

>>3918281
>>A lone power tap signature, strangely enough the rest of the area is a signal deadzone

>>3918281
>>Gained progress to a material upgrade, along with a cable and winch
>A large collapse of the ceiling in the distance. Maybe it has some good materials

>>3918281
>A large collapse of the ceiling in the distance. Maybe it has some good materials

>>3918281
>>Basic ballistics program developed, bonus to shooting skill
>>A large collapse of the ceiling in the distance. Maybe it has some good materials

In case it wasn't clear you got both the program and materials

>Ceiling collapse

"So where do we go next? you ask, awkwardly examining the new scar on your arm

"Unknown. Any location with sufficient manufacturing capabilities would be a preferred location. Reaching the recycling plant above would likely fulfil these conditions."

"And do you know any way up there?"

"Negative. This unit has been forced to remain inside the workshop due to outside hostilities. Much of the locale is unknown." Great, so you're wandering blindly for a way up.

Just as you think that though, you hear a great rumbling crash as in the distance chunks of the ceiling come tumbling down, scattering across the landscape. When you look up you can see hundreds of tiny figures, skittering along the massive hole amidst flashing lights and flares. What is happening up there?

"Well... Pieces of the recycling plant seem like a good enough place to start." You muse.

"Agreed. We must move quickly before the trawlers and scavengers reach it." In the distance you can already see their titanic forms moving, some even dropping their cargo before ponderously turning towards the wreckage. It seems they're fond of fresh metal.

Approach method
>Rush it (dangerous if things don't go well, but more time to loot)
>Cautious (less loot but safer)
>Arrive late (the initial rush will be gone or dead but it will be mostly picked clean)

>>3919264
>>Rush it (dangerous if things don't go well, but more time to loot)

>>3919264
>Rush it

Rolled 19, 14, 7, 18, 1 = 59 (5d20)

>Rushing in
rolling for results

You move along the twisted landscape as fast as you can. If you want the best materials you can get then you need to get there fast. Fortunately, your sensors let you keep out the path of any other dangers as you make your way there. And when you arrive you can see there's only two trawler ripping away at the structures over at the far end of the site. One of the surprising things however are the dozens of identical hauler drones stumbling around confused. They seem to be in some sort of panic, picking things up and moving a couple feet before dropping them, smashing into walls repeatedly, or just sitting stock-still. On top of that most of them are screaming across every channel they can, making it hard to read anything on your overworked sensors.

Besides that, there's some promising spots you can see. A heavy cart laden with neatly cut bars of steel, various alloys, and bundles of wire is tipped over and surrounded by helpless haulers trying to futilely right it. Nearby a sparking transformer with exposed internals is absolutely covered in a flock of strange birds. they hum and glow with a blue light, occasionally squawking to reveal a maw filled with lashing pronged wires. Alongside those notable features there's several dilapidated structures crumpling in upon themselves that you can't see inside.

There's also another problem in that without something to carry your loot in, you're not going to be carrying much out.

You have limited time. How do you spend it?
>Interact with some of the haulers (how?)
>Try something with the broken transformer
>Take some goods from the tipped over cart
>Search some of the buildings
>Other

>>3920564
>>Take some goods from the tipped over cart

>>3920564
>>>Take some goods from the tipped over cart

>>3920564
>Loot cart

Ez pickings

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>Take some goods from the tipped over cart

Raw materials are hard to come by down here and that's a whole cart full of them. As you get closer though, the incessant whining of the haulers grates on you more and more. You can barely think through their stream of constant nonsense and can only make out vague concerns and complaints about shipments not arriving on time and a "Quartermaster" being displeased. Even trying to block the individual transmissions doesn't do any good as there's so many of the damn things. And when you get to the cart you're crowded by a couple of them and they feebly try to push you back as they double in their complaints, adding thievery to the list.

It's clear that you're not getting to the cart without dealing with these things.
>Destroy these nuisances
>Leave them be and go somewhere else
>Try to reason with them

>>3920869
>>Try to reason with them
OUTTA THE WAY

>>3920869
>>Try to reason with them

Roll a d100 best of 3 to see if you can persuade them

>>3920869
>>Destroy these nuisances

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>3920943

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>3920943
I'm here to save the day

>55, not with that roll you wont

"Just let u-"

"DO NOT TAKE."

"If you would ju-"

"DO NOT TAKE."

"There isn't eve-"

"DO NOT TAKE."

Every single attempt you make to try and talk to them is simply stonewalled. You can't even make conversation with them as they obnoxiously interrupt you at every turn. Throughout your relatively short experience with emotions, this is the closest you've actually come to genuinely angry. It feels like your circuits keep getting hotter and hotter even though their temperature is still the same.
Every pathetic little shove they try just makes it worse.

"You can't reason with them." L-C23 helpfully chimes from the sidelines. "They are too simple in their logic. I doubt they will change."

Something must be done.
>Rip and tear
>Forgive and forget

Just take their shit by force

>>3922287
>>Rip and tear

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>Rip and tear

You've had enough of these little bastards and your revving saw agrees. The surrounding drones barely even react as you swipe down and split its hull open. The sensation is quite satisfying, and you turn to the others who don't seem to take the hint. It's only after you've bisected five of the damn things that the others seem to develop some kind of survival instinct and back off. But finally you've secured your desired cargo.

"I shall construct something to move these supplies elsewhere. I do not think we can take all of this." L-C23 states before bringing up a blowtorch and grabbing some metal plates from the cart.

The site seems to be getting livelier now that you've stayed here for a while. A few more trawlers have arrived, and from the west you can distantly hear some kind of chanting. You can also pickup some movement from further up into the wreckage now that your sensors are a bit clearer. Some of the strange birds have landed on top of the split open haulers as well.

>Cart secured!

Choose an action
>Investigate broken transformer
>pick through some broken buildings
>move deeper into the wreckage site
>other

>>3922594
>>Investigate broken transformer

>>3922594
>>pick through some broken buildings

>>3922594
>>Investigate broken transformer
Support

>>3922594
>Investigate the transformer

>>3922594
>Investigate broken transformer

You've got raw materials now, but some fabricated parts could help too. So you turn to the bird covered transformer and give it a look. It's still sparking hours after falling down, so it must somehow still have a stable connection to a power source. Occassionally an arc of electricity lashes out and strikes one of the birds, only for them to shuffle around a bit completely unfazed. They must be insulated or something. You can't really touch the transformer, judging from what you've seen, getting hit by one of those arcs is going to hurt.

>shoot out the connection
>try to find the source
>leave it alone
>other

>>3924342
>>try to find the source

>>3924342
>Try to find the source

>>3924342
>Look for the source

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Apologies for the break

>Find the source

If you're going to get materials you might as well go for the best you can get. Whatever is supplying the transformer has to be around here somewhere and it's bound to be in better condition if it's still powering it. You determine the input wire and follow it around the ruins being careful to watch for movements on your sensors. More constructs are flooding in by the second, a few times you even spot them, lanky and rusted figures that mostly seem to want to avoid you as much as you do them. Finally though, after about a two blocks worth of buildings though you reach it. A power substation, complete with an array of storage batteries along with all the necessary infrastructure.

Quickly you set to work, shutting off the station before dismantling what you can and stuffing it into a box of sheet metal you bolted together with your gun. However, after getting the box half-full a problem has made itself apparent. From the left and ride side of the street two groups are converging on your location. From the right you can hear the chanting from before, coupled with angered proclamations of "Sins against the original code" and repentance. From the left you can only hear encoded chatter as the red blips of their forms skitter from place to place on the street. They might not know you're here, but it's clear the two groups are going to come into conflict.


>Stay and fill the crate to maximum
>Break out and split for an alleyway(Left or right?)
>Cut through the wall with your saw and go out the back

>>3930554
>>Stay and fill the crate to maximum

>>3930554
Be in middle of the crossfire? No thanks
>Use saw to open wall

Rolled 2 (1d2)

rolling tie breaker

You're getting out of here, there's no need to risk yourself over a couple parts. You rev up your saw and get to carving a path through the thick walls of the substation as inconspicuously as you can. From your position you can only listen to the sounds of the ongoing skirmish and watch your radar. By the time you're halfway through the wall, a large number of the combatants have gone down. The zealots seem to be losing ground, but mostly due to the fact that they've been constantly broadcasting outward, drawing in newcomers from all around. Speaking of which, it seems to be laced with some kind of weak virus. Luckily your firewall is good enough to keep it out.

A few minutes of watching blips wink out on your display and steadily carving through the wall, you finally kick the paneling free and move through the streets and alleys back to the cart. In the distance you can see L-C23 rigging up some kind of patchwork sled team out of lobotomized hauler drones. Judging from your sensors there's a huge wave coming in on almost all sides. The initial rush is over and the rest are arriving.


>Move out with your current haul
>Stay and get some more

>>3932022
>>Stay and get some more

>>3932022
Stay for a bit longer

You tell L-C23 to keep building up the sled to carry more. You're going to get all you can out of this place or die trying.
The question is how you're going to keep the sled safe while you load it up with more loot. From the north east you can see five units moving directly toward you. To the west there's three more moving in your general direction. Along with that there are several other scattered signatures wandering about. You'll have to deal with them if you're going to keep your haul.

>Skirmish against a group before they reach the cart
>Make some barricades to block off alleyways and side paths
>other

>>3935140
>>Make some barricades to block off alleyways and side paths

>>3935140
>>Skirmish against a group before they reach the cart

>>3935140
Ambush them by using the cart as bait

>>3935140
>Make barricades

You're a single unit against many. If you get surrounded you're as good as dead. Grabbing some sheet plating from the cart, you move into action and begin rapidly bolting pieces together, blocking alleyways off and improving your position. They may have a numbers advantage, but that doesn't mean anything when choke points are involved. Some metal that you won't even be able to carry with you is a negligible cost for your safety. Thinking ahead you place down a couple more as shields, just in case they have ranged weaponry as well.

Minutes pass and the group of five are almost upon you and your encampment of hastily bolted together steel. The time of preparation is over, now you must act.

>Combat rounds until forced retreat: 4

>Wait for them to get close and then strike
>Harass them and duck from cover to cover
>Hold your ground from a secure point

>>3941405
>>Harass them and duck from cover to cover

>>3941405
>Harass them and duck from cover to cover

Harrying tactics
Roll 1d00 best of 3

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>3942205

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>3942205

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>3942205

>>3942687
N O I C E

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>99, Critical threshold reached

They're coming for you and you're ready. You've manage to find a way up to the top of a crumbling building to get a better vantage point and wait for the right moment to strike. Ever so slowly do they make their way into the perfect spot, funneled by your impromptu barricades. The group is lead by a large construct, covered in heavy slabs of steel alloy and of good quality it looks. They're followed by four other humanoid forms similar to yours, unremarkable aside from the fact that they carry firearms. The big one only notices you too late when you aim your shot right above them.

That much armor is tough to get through but everything has its weakness.

You send a bolt right between their shoulders, tearing through delicate wires and internal mechanisms in the process before falling back as a burst of gunfire dusts the concrete ledge. But you're not finished, these kinds of battles can't be won with minimum planning. You move out of sight and jump down from the rooftop, moving yourself to your next spot, a small hole in the rubble of the building a bit further behind them. A volley of three rivets fly and cripple one of the follower's legs and shatter their hand. Again you duck out as they panic with another stream of bullets.

Off to a good start you suppose. Over the noise, you hear the distant sound of shrill bird song.

>Continue your attack (1d100 Bo3)
>Leave and hope they're discouraged enough
>Other
Adaptive programming level up! Choose one of the following three options
>Saboteur: You know how to make steel bend and snap. You can use "Call shot" to inflict crippling damage to a construct and have a bonus to dismantling structures
>Ghost in the network: You're experienced enough with sensors that you can make yourself practically invisible to others. Only visual and audio detection will help them
>Pathway router: You can analyze a situation and determine a more successful route. Bonus to dodging and time-pressed actions

>>3943404
>>Continue your attack (1d100 Bo3)
>Ghost in the network: You're experienced enough with sensors that you can make yourself practically invisible to others. Only visual and audio detection will help them

>>3943560
This