rolled 1, 5, 3 = 9

Sixth month. Your current location is Fleet Base Four, administrated by the gruff intelligence you have named Canderous, a counterpart to the polite and timid FC. Following the facility's reactivation, you placed production order, using FB4's considerable yard space to begin constructing escorts for the frigate back in FB3. You have yet to inform the Lord or his son of the presence of this base, which you will probably need to do if you wish to crew the craft Canderous is building.

Rumors that Dreamwood's surge in military production is meant to assist the occupation forces in Forus are circulating, aided by agents of DCE. Most of the common people see this as positive, but the higher-up nobles seem to believe you're only covering up your own increase in power. Some think you are working only for yourself, others that you have chosen to back the Lord against various internal elements, and the fringe believes you and the Prince are preparing to take over the government.

Shipments of bolt-action rifles with bayonets and an ample supply of ammunition are on their way to the front in Forus, with the approval of certain military elements. A prisoner transport Zeppelin, low on magic to allow the use of anti-magic fields in proximity, is now available for production in any yard. As an adaptation of the standard transport design, it is easy to build, but the lack of magical or magitech hardware means it is slower, less efficient, and less sophisticated.

rolled 4, 3, 1 = 8

Canderous has established a link with K5 and K9, and will soon access K8. It has discovered no new information, but is well-placed, with FC, to defend those installations from data attacks, and take complete control of them if necessary. A rather enormous suit of powered armor, four times your size, is in the final design stage, and will be ready for production shortly. Meant to be piloted by you, it is an inelegant, lumbering beast of a mech, an avatar of brute force.

The military has re-requested Bomber schematics. The high nobles are encouraging you to fill your three-day quota of research assistance in one of the newly-uncovered installations, especially K1, the control center.

>>11462073
>>11462095
Okay, have Canderous begin construction of an anti-demon close assault power suit fitted to us, and we will make our way to K1.

As for the bomber schematics, our requirement was only to provide schematics of weapons in mass production. But if they insist, provide only the most basic of schematics and plans.

>>11462095
>>11462155
Will this mech suit incorporate the anti-magic systems found in the anti-demon close-assault suits?

rolled 3, 5, 4 = 12

>>11462155
Acknowledged.

You could certainly request something in return, if you wish.

>>11462197
To some degree, yes. It is large enough for it to generate an anti-magic field in its fists without damaging critical components in the chest, for instance. However, because of its size, it would be impossible for it to give up magical enhancement entirely, so a suit-wide anti-magic field is out of the question. If it was a wheeled vehicle, or hexapedal, instead of a heavy bipedal robot, this would be less of a problem.

Go away

>>11462244
Okay. As for suits, have another one built, using the standard anti-demon close assault designs in the database. I want something that can lay down a strong anti-magic presence in case our main suit doesn't cut it.

As for getting something in return; we want guaranteed zeppelin construction contracts from the military. In other words, if they want our plans, and create blueprints based on those plans, then they have to contract us to construct them.

>>11462095
>military has re-requested Bomber schematics
Is this the military simply not wanting to be left behind technologically, or is it the High Nobles trying to test how willing we are to give up our tech advantage?
Is there any way to check?

In either case, we should probably wait for a consensus before giving away technology.

rolled 1, 6, 5 = 12

>>11462313
As ordered.

For now, this isn't a problem. They want the ability to renegotiate that contract at any time (you will be under no obligation to, of course), and a guarantee that at least two yards will prioritize their construction over all else. You will be paid handsomely for this. The first order will be two Bombers, just for testing.

Since they are now accepting new contracts, you can do that Red Wings demonstration now, if you want.

>>11462348
As far as you know, the military is fairly neutral in the struggle between the Lord and the high nobles. It appears that the commanders are looking to extend their air power with this, and not much else.

I'm willing to give them the bomber specs. We do want to keep them placated. At least until they decide to make a move on us.

Also, begin construction on three prisoner transport craft and the appropriate containment equipment. Have them slated to be a gift, since we personally do not really have any big need of a prisoner transport.

Finally, let's get on over to K1. I'm curious about the place anyway, as FC said there may be stasis pods there.

Also: if Canderous or FC have any good ideas regarding the stability of Weltall that doesn't involve more legs, go for it.... you know, come to think of it, we could just give it thicker legs and feet.

>>11462420

OH, did we ever get that zepplin dedicated to our own transport built? Constanze will be going off with the red wings, and it is a little uncomfortable on long flights, afterall.

So, how is Korus recovering after his major reconstructive surgery there in K9?

>>11462244
Ah, before we leave FB4, make sure that the security and deception measures we put in place at FC3 are replicated here.
Explosive bolts on the conduits going to the communication array and making the upper level look like a biomass recycling plant.

Also, something I thought of: the High Nobles or their researchers may eventually question us keeping the communication array down. Just in case they do, and demand that we turn them back on, we should come up with a script of what to do.
We say that we keep the communications down because we have evidence that whatever caused the Collapse seemed to attack through the communication systems, and we think that whatever did might still be transmitting.
When they demand we turn the communication arrays back on, we warn them that this is a bad idea, and then make a show of turning the comms array back on.
The Command AI will then make a show of turning it on, then receiving a communication. A couple seconds after that all of the facility's alarms go off, Guardian saying that there is a security intrusion.
>Alert Level 5. Network Intrusion Detected. Alert Level 5. Dummy Processor Failed. Intelligence Core Breach Imminent. Self-Destruct Sequence Armed.
That's when we make a show of blowing the explosive bolts(a second set that we had made a show of placing when this started).

rolled 5, 5, 3 = 13

>>11462504
I'll wait on the bombers until there's a consensus.

Three prisoner transports will be constructed in the newest yards, as soon as they're up.

K1, then. No problem.

The addition of a couple of hover engines focused primarily on balance would eliminate much of the problem, but increase mass a bit and restrict anti-magic fields further.

>>11462555
Yes, but you haven't been using it. It's been tasked as a diplomatic courier for the County's government since you built it, while Constanze was available. Do you want to ride your personal transport instead of Constanze from now on?

>>11462594
The installation's systems say he's stable. He is still in the gene therapy chamber, unconscious, but healing well.

>>11462504
>>11462420
Actually, let's just build 2 prisoner transports, 1 for us and 1 for the military in Forus.
Standard military procedure is to kill enemy mages on sight, so I don't think they will need it much.

As for the Red Wings demonstration, let's get it ready after we give the military the bomber specs and begin construction on the ordered zeppelins. Play it off as a demonstration of what they've just bought. They shouldn't feel too intimidated since we're being more open on giving them technology and they've started buying more zepps for their own air force.

rolled 1, 4, 5 = 10

>>11462602
All of those measures are already in place, or being placed.

Since FC and Canderous are linked into K5 and K9 already, do you want the systems there informed of this plan, or do you want to do it personally?

>>11462662
Awaiting consensus on transports.

If the contract above is satisfactory, then you could start new construction, or list two of the bombers in production for government service. Your six off-site yards are all making bombers, and the first load will be complete at the end of the month.

>>11462095
I say we give them the bomber schematics. I mean, zeppelins are completely obsolete compared to the technology provided by Fleet Controls, so if they want it then sure, let's give them all the latest zeppelin bomber tech. As for the 3 day thing... once we've finished getting things settled with Canderous and let the Lord and Princes know about it, then we can fulfill our 3 days.

>>11462244
I believe we queued several suits of heavily armored and shielded power armor, did we not?

>>11462660 riding our transport

Might as well. We did build it to be a bit more comfortable.

>>11462662 prisoner transport for US

I don't really see the need to have a personal prisoner transport, i mean, we don't have anyone we'd really plan on moving around in such a manner.

rolled 1, 6, 6 = 13

>>11462779
You did. Twenty of them. However, you didn't specify whether they were meant for human or Frost Giant use, so 19 are flagged for conversion to a human-usable design, and the last is being built as-is.

>>11462791
Very well. From now on, you will use your personal transport instead of Constanze. The transport is slightly faster, at 26MPH, than the Red Wings Zeppelins.

rolled 1, 3, 1 = 5

Now then. Are you going to inform the Lord of your discovery of FB4, and announce it as another reclamation facility? Your personal transport can be set to rendezvous with you at K1.

>>11462779
No, I think we need to give them a simplified schematic.
The reason is because we still need to keep up the appearance of some resistance and obstruction to the High Nobles. Otherwise, they'll become suspicious as to why we're suddenly so helpful. We would need to justify it otherwise.

>>11462774
Have K9 and K5 informed of the plan, and any Kharok facilities we secure are to be brought into the plan as well.

>>11462906
Yes, announce, in a resigned tone, that it is another reclamation facility. Less rooms available, but those in slightly better condition. And shit; shit everywhere.

As for informing the High Lord, do it on a secure line. Confirm that this place is the same as the one in the wasteland.

>>11462826
Excellent.The 19 being built for human scale should be given to the King and Prince's best men, who should be given time to practice in them. We should probably try ours out as well.

For the Red Wings demonstration.... I'm afraid that my memory is slipping. What exactly is that again? I thought that the Red Wings were in Forus helping the army?

>>11462932
A demonstration of the capabilities of our bombers, aerial gunship, and carrier. A Tony Stark-style demonstration of our weapons.
They aren't in Forus, because the interference from the High Nobles kept the military away from us.

rolled 3, 3, 6 = 12

>>11462911
K9 and K5 have been informed. All installations brought into the link will also follow this plan.

>>11462931
Announced. The high nobles are not eager to inspect it, but they will send some people in eventually.

The Lord suggests the same operation as before, sending in as many men as you will need to crew what you're building. The official cover is the need for more manpower to assist with excavation and restoration of systems, but it won't need to be used unless the high nobles find out that they're going.

>>11462932
As you wish.

This >>11462955 says it well.

>>11462999
>need for more manpower to assist with excavation
Okay. Let's go with that cover story. Get some of the Princes' men and women out there and get them started in the simulators.

I think we're good to go to K1 now. We have the portable comm unit, so we can talk with, and give orders to, FC3 and Canderous on the way.

rolled 3, 2, 5 = 10

>>11463062
Acknowledged.

Stand by for voyage.

>>11462955
Ah, alright. In that case yes, having the Red Wings run a demonstration would be good.

>>11462911
Ah, excellent point. Still, I think that we should start to slowly start to be more open with sharing some of our developed technology.

There's a point where these threads need to stop, and you have clearly passed it.

rolled 6, 4, 2 = 12

Constanze ferries you once more to an unexplored installation, and you feel its limited space even more acutely now. You've spent a great deal of time away from the comforts of home, but, thankfully, the ancient Frost Giant facilities have no shortage of space or the necessities you expect. Your personal transport (which you have yet to name) is on its way to K1 but will arrive a short while after you. Hopefully you'll find it more conducive to long voyages.

The captain of one of the high nobles' AMTs greets you as you approach the installation, which is already surrounded with tents and hastily-constructed structures in a growing research base. Men and women in different uniforms walk to and fro below, parts of the joint expedition exploring this most important of locations. As soon as you touch down, you make your way to the prepared entrance, apprehensive.

Within is a copy of the rooms you're familiar with, its only console missing a cylinder, display off. Both main doors are open, allowing you unrestricted access to the inside. You walk briskly through, meeting the head of the expedition and his personnel in the welcome center, which is lit only by arc lights fed from above. Where the rest of the place should be is a great yawning chasm, extending on down into the darkness below. One of the arc lights is directed across, sweeping the other side of the chasm with a bright white beam.

“It cuts right across one of the main parts of the installation,” says the man next to you. “We should go back up and open another entrance on the other side. It's too unstable and too wide for me to feel good about bridging it.”

>>11463124
>slowly start to be more open
Oh, I'm not saying that we shouldn't (since the FG tech surpasses anything we could have for decades). I'm simply saying that it should be done slowly.

whoa. bombed the fuck out from the beginning. well, let's start looking around for secondary entrances.

>>11463169
Well, this isn't good.
Alright, have some earth mages try to find an alternate entrance, and create another shaft as needed.
Let's leave this part to the professionals.

Oh man. I just hope this place still has power.

rolled 5, 5, 2 = 12

>>11463257
>>11463264
You and most of the others head back up, leaving a few behind to explore what there is on your side of the chasm. After a brief walk above-ground, an earth mage, probing for another suitable entrance, finds what he's looking for and calls for assistance to open another shaft. It's done in seconds.

The console in the entrance room has been torn from its mounting and smashed against one of the walls, destroying the display and shattering the command cylinder. The main doors, however, are open at this end as well, giving you access to the other side of the chasm. Arc lights are brought in and set up, brightening the path. It doesn't look good.

The floor is covered with dried blood and splinters of bone, as well as a few pieces of battered armor. Walls and doors have been blasted to ruin, consoles, screens, and anything technological is either smashed beyond recognizability or disassembled, with the pieces flung about and discarded. It is clear that this installation follows a different layout from the others, and there's no way to get a map without access to the pertinent database. Still, if it follows the same design philosophy, the command center should be below, roughly in the center of the facility.

What do you wish to do?

>>11463378
Make our way to the command center, bringing in research teams to examine the armor and bodies here.
Have the earth mages reinforce this secondary shaft.

Let's hope that Geothermal is still working.

>>11463378

No choice but to explore. Clearly mark areas we've been to so we don't get lost.

>>11463378
what is the status on Dora btw?

Hello, Subprocessor DM, it is nice to know that this is still going on strong.
I am the guy who had to leave some time ago, I managed to get a hold of a computer with an awesome (unstable) connection of ~5kb/sec where you have to pay per Mb.... welcome to future baby!

Anyway, I can't participate.

BUT I would like to read on what I have missed. The archive overhaul just had to come when I needed archives the most and it seems to go forever now!

So I ask you, SubDM, do you have perchance Frost Giantess thread #65-66 saved somewhere where you could upload them and give them to me, please? I would be most thankful!

rolled 6, 6, 4 = 16

>>11463416
>>11463440
You and your people head downward, slinking through emergency stairways and dropping down the less-damaged shafts, making your way to the probable location of the command center. Above you, the rest of the expedition team works on stabilizing the immediate area, especially the way out, and examining what's left. There is not a single intact skeleton left, as far as they can tell. Whatever weapons were used here did their job completely.

Without the transit ways, getting to where you need to go is a royal pain. There are barely any lights still on, and those that are flicker and dim at odd intervals, their power supplies damaged and failing. You soldier on, using what remains of the hallway markers to guide you in, finding that the command center should be exactly where you thought it was. After a long, unpleasant journey, you reach it.

The main security center no longer exists. The space where it used to be is nothing more than a hole in the earth, dropping down further than you'd like to contemplate. Half of Command's chamber is intact, bearing the scars of weapons fire. The other half has collapsed inward, its supports destroyed by whatever took out Guardian. The interface chair's displays are cracked but it still appears usable. There are golems around, mostly damaged, leaning against walls or lying on the floor. A single light blazes above, illuminating one of the remaining circuit towers.

Orders?

>>11463378
This is K-1, yes? The place with all the records and such?

And it looks like the people here were struck with a severe case of technophobia. I wonder what prompted that...

>>11463551

Well... let's give it a shot. Take a seat, carefully. Let's see if we can wake up command1.

>>11463551
Make sure that our portable comms is ready with a connection to FC3 and Canderous with cyberwarfare packages ready, then get into the chair.

captcha: revealed tallyhos

rolled 1, 2, 1 = 4

>>11463470
The Dora project has borne fruit in the form of several prototype locomotive assemblies and test guns. Your scientists have yet to find the proper design for maximum effectiveness, but what there is can be used to lob shells a fairly spectacular distance.

>>11463541
Previous threads can be accessed through easymodo. You can get to any of them by replacing the thread number at the end of the link. 65 and 66 are here:

http://archive.easymodo.net/cgi-board.pl/tg/thread/11035643
http://archive.easymodo.net/cgi-board.pl/tg/thread/11055182

I can dump the other links if you need them.

>>11463623
Thank you very much. I'll read them at my leisure... don't really get much time on internet anymore.

Anyway, good luck!

rolled 6, 2, 6 = 14

Keeping your portable comm close, you have your men stand ready as you sit, ever so carefully, in the chair. There is no jolt. One of the displays to your right lights up, sweeping through a dozen error codes and showing you a system message proclaiming that Command is non-functional and emergency power supplies are failing. A damage report scrolls through, noting all powerplants except 3 and 7 as unrecoverable or impossible to access, and Geothermal as filled with magma, beyond repair.

There is a bright spot, though. At least half of the primary databases are untouched in their secure housings, and limited self-repair protocols can be accessed from there. Restoring power to those areas should be a simple task, as Power 3 is near the main junction feeding them. Without an intelligence, sifting through the information there would be difficult, but you have the portable comm to get FC and Canderous in.

Continue to Power 3?

>>11463745

We have few other choices. This place had the shit kicked out of it. Onwards to power 3.

>>11463745
Yes, go to Power 3. Once we restore power, we get the self-repair system back online, and have FC3 and Canderous suck the databases through the portable comms.

>>11463745
Onward and... downward?

>The military has re-requested Bomber schematics.
Kinda late but I say sure we give them something, especially with the Red wings demonstration.

Also that thread went really, really late last night.

rolled 2, 4, 1 = 7

>>11463799
>>11463803
>>11463868
Power 3 is a mess, but it's functional, and that's all you can ask for. The crystalline formation in the center of the room has had its housing cracked, and is drawing so much heat through the damaged area that the whole chamber is covered in frost and your people have trouble staying in for long. FC links the portable comm to the main console, giving you its instructions without making anyone suspicious. A few button presses later, the links to the database section have been restored, at a substantially reduced level due to damage.

The hallway just outside leads directly to the databases, and is strewn with debris but stable enough to walk through. As the power systems realign themselves, the lights come on, giving you a look at the other end of the corridor. The door is slightly ajar, with what used to be a stunner jammed into the gap.

>>11463925
Be careful in removing the stunner, then open the door the rest of the way. Let's get to the databases.

>>11463925
So, did that start the repairs to Power 3?

Investigate door.

>>11463925
Same drill as last time. Check for traps.

rolled 3, 3, 2 = 8

The stunner's housing snaps as you attempt to remove it, and the parts fall to the floor, useless. The door opens at a press of its pad, granting you access to what may be one of your greatest find yet. The interior lights up, showing you the machinery that has only just begun to run again. The nearest console displays a message from FC, stating matter-of-factly that repairs will take a long, long time, especially without any working fabricator to provide additional golems or materials. Fortunately, the databases are still accessible.

You make a show of reactivating the main console, and the circuit blocks light up, bathing the room in a cool blue glow. Startup takes a few seconds, but everything goes smoothly.

You are welcomed to Kharok One, primary control node for the Kharok installations. You now have access to project data from many of them, logs, historical information, and schematics, all from different databases in this section. FC and Canderous have their cyberwarfare modules running, in case there is a danger of viral contamination. Without the communications array, they will be restricted to the wireless functions of the internal sensors and the consoles, which are not particularly impressive.

Would you like the intelligences to begin reading the data? Would you like an overview on any particular topic?

>>11464087
Have them begin siphoning the data back to their own databanks.
An overview of projects would be nice.

Also, could an Mobile Construction Vehicle be constructed at one of the Fleet Bases to provide K1 with a fabricator to facilitate repairs?

rolled 6, 2, 1 = 9

>>11463967
Repairs will begin shortly. The sheer amount of damage, the lack of fabricators, and the lack of a local intelligence will make it a difficult affair.

>>11464012
There do not appear to be any traps, and many security systems are offline. According to the internal sensors still accessible, there are no real threats in the area, either.

>>11464120
Oh, how long will Power 3 remain online? Is it in danger of failing anytime soon?

>>11464087
>Would you like the intelligences to begin reading the data? Would you like an overview on any particular topic?

Yes and yes. See if there is any additional data on the attack and also what caused K1 to be disentigrated for the most part.

>>11464087

Maybe now we can get a better idea of what happened here.

Rundown of final logs available, map of the complex, what projects they were working on here (also, find out what they were working on at k11 and if there is any info on the facility out to sea.) Also, check on if any of the stasis pods in this facility survived the centuries.

I figure once we have all available information from this setup, we write a full report of the last moments of the facilities we've opened up so far, along with a list of suspects who may have been the cause.

>>11464120
See if we can transfer some Golems from one of the other facilities to help with repairs.

>>11464173

Great idea! since we're a competent alchemist, we could probably provide some raw material ourselves.

Should we siphon most of the archives to the FBs and then corrupt much of the data here to make it inaccessible for the nobles?
Just throwing this out there.

>>11464173
There's an idea. And see if we can build a transmitter at one of the other outposts that we could bring here. We'll tell the Gov people that we'll try and transfer as much of the information as possible to one of the less damaged sites since there's bound to be so much data here. Then we can have them worry about which site they should risk reconnecting the comm system on.

>>11464213
Without an AI to sift through the databases, there's too much data for any of their researchers to find anything easily.

The only part I agree with is finding all mentions of the Fleet Bases and either changing them to references about biomass reclamations.

Actually, even better: hide the real archives behind security walls and create dummy copies that are properly sanitized that the researchers would be accessing. Only ourselves, the AI's under our control, and our own people will be able to access the real archives.

>>11464255
No, I think if we build a portable interface transceiver, it should be kept secret. Maybe disguised as some other piece of equipment.

I don't want to give anything to the High Nobles that we don't have to.

rolled 1, 3, 4 = 8

>>11464118
Data link established.

You have access to information on projects from installations 1-9, though it is somewhat limited at the moment, due to the lack of other databases and corruption.

You now know that K6 studied advanced building materials and sensor systems. It worked extensively with K3 to provide a foundation for space-capable units.

K3 incorporated launching sites for rockets and hover vehicles, and was equipped with VTOLs that may have been able to lift substantial amounts of cargo into orbit. K5's teleportation research was linked to this installation.

K7's bioweapons research was focused on agents affecting the Fire Giants and their allies, and was one of the only installations to feature a system designed to consume contaminated Blocks with fire.

K2's advanced golem research projects focused on increasing the intelligence of drones. Self-reprogramming golems were developed but did not pass the prototype stage.

K4 was running a transmutation program to assist in the acquisition of fissionable materials. It is reported to have used advanced fabricators developed in conjunction with several other installations, which were capable of previously impossible feats of magical construction.

There is a vast amount of information here. It would be easiest if you could tell me a specific installation to focus on. I can post the current list if necessary.

An Afrias-Class Mobile Fabricator Base is under construction at FB3. It is enormous, heavy, and very slow, using practically no stealth systems. It would be difficult to keep anyone from noticing its arrival.

>>11464281
>Afrias-Class Mobile Fabricator Base
Yeah, don't send it here yet though. We don't want to tip our hand yet.

Can we have information on K17 and K21?

>>11464321
Oh! And K11, the one that's in Forus!

rolled 4, 3, 4 = 11

>>11464128
It will remain online for many years if left alone. The main problem is its housing, which, if damaged further, could trigger an emergency shutdown. It will be repaired as soon as possible.

>>11464146
The logs don't shed much light on what happened elsewhere. Information from the time around the event is scarce, though there are video records from watchposts looking toward Kharok and K9. The camera watching Kharok saw the mist engulf the city and was destroyed two minutes in. The camera watching K9 recorded the departure of numerous VTOLs and appears to have been destroyed by a missile. It is notable that the above-ground view of K9 shows something similar to a small city, supporting roads, transit-ways, and vehicle pads.

It appears that someone attempted to activate K1's self-destruct sequence but was only partially successful. Several of the power stations lit off, forming that chasm you saw from the entrance. Other areas were deliberately destroyed by standard demolitions equipment, perhaps including Guardian's chamber.

>>11464118
>>11464281
We should hold off on deploying the MCV until after the upcoming event. If it get's attacked far away from a fleet base it wouldnt stand much of a chance, and we dont want to tip our hand to the nobles yet.

>K7's bioweapons research was focused on agents affecting the Fire Giants and their allies, and was one of the only installations to feature a system designed to consume contaminated Blocks with fire.
Thank god.

>It would be easiest if you could tell me a specific installation to focus on. I
Which one had the research AI's?

>>11464386
K19.

rolled 1, 3, 4 = 8

>>11464321
>>11464362
You only have access to information from 1-9.

K4 studied fission, fusion, and radioactive materials.

K3 was working on space travel.

K2 was researching robotics and cybernetics.

K1 is a control installation of some sort, with data backups and what may be stasis pods.

K7 is a bioweapons research installation.

K8 was working on shielding and various countermeasures.

K6 studied advanced building materials and sensor systems.

K9 was a medical research installation.

K5 studied the immaterial and had a hand in hover research. Cloaking, teleportation, and incorporeal beings were within its project sphere.

>>11464415

Are the stasis pods still here? are they occupied?

>>11464415
Ah, sorry. I didn't read closely enough.

Anyway, what about the blocks that contained the stasis pods? Did they survive, and can we get to them?

>>11464415

OH! I see now! K5's involvement in the space program was attempting to reduce mass of space vehicles by shunting some of it into nearby extra-dimensional space!

Pretty genius.

rolled 1, 1, 2 = 4

>>11464167
The logs seem to indicate that this installation was partially evacuated, but ordered destroyed by an Administrator. There are reports from several different security teams, some defending a power station and some attacking it. There is also a warning that a viral infection has penetrated the wireless network. No such infection has been detected by the FB intelligences.

Map loaded.

This installation was mainly concerned with coordinating projects in other installations, but did undertake research of its own. For instance, terraforming, which required systems and information from many different projects, was worked on here. Life extension through stasis was also researched, but the pod bays appear to have been destroyed.

There is no information on K11, but the installation that is now underwater is listed as K10, a naval research base.

>>11464173
This could be done, but the basic problem is the lack of fabricators. If there was even one still operational, all of the golems needed could be built on-site. Finding a way to rebuild one is a priority. If you wish, golems can be transported via Zeppelin from other installations, as can products from working fabricators.

>>11464255
You could do this. A portable comm, even an inferior version, would be sufficient for this task. Without communications arrays, the transfer rate would be slow, as you know.

I wonder if the VTOL's mean some frost giants escaped to space.

then again that facility wasn't equipped with the space fairing model was it?

>>11464616
Ask FC3 and Canderous if there's any way to repair a fabricator ourselves. Otherwise, ask if one of the Kharok Facility's could fabricate a portable fabricator that could be brought here to begin repairs.

rolled 3, 5, 6 = 14

>>11464260
This is being done. It will take a while.

>>11464453
>>11464499
As far as you know, they did not. Most of them were near the command center, and were either purposely demolished or destroyed in the self-destruct attempt. There may be more, but the intelligences have not found them.

>>11464627
Most likely not. Technically, a standard VTOL has the capability to rise high enough in the atmosphere that it could 'push' free of the planet's gravity with a little effort. However, the normal vehicles are not designed to be space-capable, and it would be difficult to maneuver them, if there was anywhere to go.

>>11464616
Well, bring in some extra golems, and then assign them to fixing one of the damaged fabricators.

>>11464616
>>11464695
>You could do this. A portable comm, even an inferior version, would be sufficient for this task. Without communications arrays, the transfer rate would be slow, as you know.

We should bring it in with the Golems or the bruilding materials.

>>11464713
Seconding this. Have a list of missing parts needed for a fabricator brought up here and then made at the other sites.

rolled 5, 2, 5 = 12

>>11464671
From the apparent damage, probably not. That may change once the golems have properly scouted and restored internal sensors.

Fabricators are incredibly enormous and very heavy, weighing many tons. It might be possible to fabricate some of the simpler parts and assemble them elsewhere, but the more complex controls are difficult to make, though they are quite a bit easier to repair. All installations are normally equipped with replacement parts for the fabricators, of course, but they may not be in working condition after all these years. Long story short, a bare-bones portable fabricator wouldn't be much smaller than the MFB. If the proper parts can either be located or constructed, and they're all in working order, a replacement fabricator could be built.

>>11464713
>>11464784
Acknowledged.

>>11464781
Would you like the inferior normal-installation version or the Fleet Base version?

>>11464695
Is there any way to repair the AI's here or bring an AI online from backups here?
I don't want the other AI's doing everything here, because it will seem suspicious if the repairs are controlled without an AI here to direct everything.
We need a local AI restored.

>>11464797
>Would you like the inferior normal-installation version or the Fleet Base version?

Normal. We dont need everyone finding out we brought in something different.

>leave irradiate
Um, I think captcha is trying to tell me something.

rolled 4, 5, 1 = 10

>>11464815
Guardian is a total loss. Command is missing half its hardware, but could be brought partially online following repairs, since the core itself is intact. Without hardware to run the intelligence, backups will do you no good.

The database systems are capable of coordinating self-repair on their own, as in K5. They are not nearly as capable as an AI, but you could easily smooth away any great doubts by pointing to this installation's status as a control center to explain the presence of more effective backup systems.

>>11464845
Very well. A standard portable comm will be brought from K9 to facilitate the transfer of data from here to a more stable system.

rolled 3, 1, 3 = 7

So. What do you wish to do next? Explore another installation? Head back to Dreamwood? Accompany the Red Wings on their eventual demonstration?

>>11465038
Um...... can we get an ETA on the completion of the escorts that Canderous is making? IIRC, we've got a bunch of fighters, some torpedo bombers, two frigates with lots of armor loaded for Electronic warfare and point defense, and other two with the same chassis but with torpedoes and lances in place of the EW equipment and half of the PD.

And yes, let's be present for the Red Wing's demonstration.

>>11465038
how about the red wings demonstration.
and i would still like to attempt the drugging of an adult frost giant with painkillers at some point. so maybe try that on the way to or from one of the installations or dreamwood.

>>11465038

Let's make sure we got the repair process going here, stabilize anything that looks like it's just about to fall using alchemy, then head back to Dreamwood for a couple days of relaxation before we do the demonstration.

>>11465113

The bigger ships we had ordered were not frigates, but a smaller class whose name escapes me right now. think more like a millennium falcon, only sized for a FG crew.

rolled 4, 3, 5 = 12

>>11465113
Everything but the Corvettes will be complete by the end of the seventh month. The Corvettes themselves, as a scratch build, will be done at the end of the ninth or tenth, probably after the frigate.

Since you didn't specify numbers, you have 12 Corvettes in production. 4 Aisien-Class standard picket craft, 4 Starias-Class anti-fighter craft, and 4 Starias A-Class anti-fortification craft. The latter two follow your design orders.

>>11465134
You can do that if there is a consensus.

>>11465136
Acknowledged.

rolled 4, 3, 4 = 11

You spend the brief time before your transport arrives shoring up the installation, assisting your mages in stabilizing the supports and making sure nothing will collapse on your men. The high nobles' representative encourages you to stay longer, but you state that you have an appointment with the military, which is important enough to keep you away for a while. He accepts this without protest, and you recognize that the high nobles are liable to give you a little leeway if you continue to uncover new installations and technology.

The special transport takes you home in luxury while the Red Wings lag behind, on their way to be inspected at the yards and prepped for the demonstration. Prevously-established plans are viable again, now that the military is back in contact with you, and you have soon secured a contract for the location and type of demonstration. It will be held at a nodal base very near the capital, which has been serving AMTs for a while.

As it goes, your two Bombers will clear a landing zone in the forest while under cover from Constanze and the carrier-based ornithopters, facing light defensive fire represented by flares. The transport will then drop Kerberos squads into the zone while all ships attack targets representing an infantry force supported by siege weapons. Following that, the squads will move to capture a small base with the Red Wings covering them. In two days, the demonstration will commence.

Any alterations or stipulations should be brought up now. Continuing to testing ground.

>>11465197

I'd like to hold off on any further Frost Giant test subjects until we determine how well it worked out for Korus... and then once he's up and about we offer him a wardrobe of his choice.

uh, image related.

rolled 2, 4, 3 = 9

It looks like several thousand people have showed up for this. Most of them are wearing some sort of uniform, but it looks like there are at least a hundred or more civilians in the stands as well, alongside the Lord, the Prince, and at least half of the high nobles. You disembark from your transport, with Bem and several of your advisers, and are greeted by Perin's highest military commander, who says that he is impressed with your record and wishes your men well. The high nobles, to their credit, manage to look either neutral or pleasant, but the radiating waves of disdain still escape from them, urging you to do something stupid. Like kill them all. Unpleasantness aside, you remain confident that your soldiers, lightly trained as they are, have enough experience to pull this off.

The plan goes off almost without a hitch. The Bombers dig quite an impressive crater with their explosives as Constanze and the ornithopters mow down the timed-release flare guns with withering machine gun fire. Two of the ornithopters catch hits, and a half-dozen flares bounce off Constanze's wing armor, but they continue moving, undamaged by the simulated fire. Your squads drop, their rifles chattering as they charge forward, covering each other and picking off targets with trained precision. They take the base easily, smashing through poorly-built wooden doors and slicing up the targets within. The whole operation takes just over thirty minutes, but a real battle would not be nearly as clean-cut.

rolled 6, 5, 1 = 12

>>11465606
Those without any previous experience with air power are suitably impressed. You, however, are not. The Red Wings are not yet up to standard, though they certainly did things as close to 'by the book' as possible. Your ground troops, on the other hand, have benefited greatly from extended training, making you think that any issues with the Zeppelin crews will be smoothed over with time.

The First Lord of the Army informs you that he would be glad to host the Red Wings, in occupied Forus or in training back here. Of course, there is no way his own crews could be nearly as well trained, given the time constraints, so even the relatively green pilots and gunners you've got are a step up from the government's own troops. There is an offer on the table to 'talk business', and hammer out a contract for several full squadrons of combat Zeppelins and support models.

>>11465386
I like it.
> urging you to do something stupid. Like kill them all.
>Like kill them all.
>KILL THEM ALL
No wait, stop. better not kill them.

>>11465617
>Those without any previous experience with air power are suitably impressed. You, however, are not.
We have been keeping Red Wing busy running support for our exploration missions. They havent had as much time to train as they might have. Military crews should be Pro's at combat drops like this in a year tops provided our people assist in their training.

Let's get down to business with the military. Make sure they know that the Ornithopter Carrier designs might change considerably depending on new technologies still being developed.

rolled 4, 4, 1 = 9

>>11465759
Oh, they know. Your designs have been continually updated since their introduction, and the fast pace of Dreamwood's technological advancement means that Carriers may be completely unrecognizable in a year. But there's nothing that can be done about that, unless you're forced to slow down. Your County alone already operates many more Zeppelins than the entire rest of the nation. Even if they have to play catch-up, it's better than being left completely behind.

The fact that your Zeppelins are modular in construction also helps.

>>11465617

"My men are dedicated to the goal of ending hostilities in occupied Forus, good sirs. It can only benefit us all to have more brave flight crews, ready and able to drop fire wherever and whenever needed.

On a related note, I hope you received my message that I will be sending you a couple prisoner transport zeppelins, free of charge. They're designed to nullify attempts at takeover as well as neutralize the abilities of any enemy mages being transported."

rolled 4, 6, 5 = 15

>>11465845
The First Lord replies: "We are happy to accept whatever assistance you provide. Of course, the prospect of a pacified Forus is alien to some," some of the audience members laugh, "But we will do our best to pursue that goal. We will gladly receive anything you develop that may help us in our task. Perin thanks you for your contribution."

>>11465800
>The fact that your Zeppelins are modular in construction also helps.

I always forget about that even thought it's one of the main design features. I'm just wondering how big ICE powered ornithopters are going to be compared to the current generation.

>>11465845
We should probably talk to them about possible intrest in those prisoner transports first. Just in the off chance they dont really want them. (or not many of them)

>scavenged New
Stop playing contradictory games captcha.

Well, since the King and Prince are here, it might be good to find somewhere private to tell them about Canderous. After that, I suppose we owe it to the High Nobles to spend our three days at the K facilities.

rolled 2, 2, 2 = 6

>>11465926
They shouldn't be much bigger than the steam-powered Blackhawks.

They will accept whatever you give them, really, and since the prison compartment can be detached, the transport itself could function as a standard low-magic multipurpose craft if necessary. One or two should be sufficient for testing.

rolled 6, 6, 2 = 14

>>11465987
The Lord and the Prince already know about FB4, and are sending troops there as well.

Do you want to spend the three days in a specific facility, or ask where they could use you best?

>>11466010
How long until Korus should wake up?

If not soon then I'd say K6 or K8. Anything we could find to help better protect out stuff would be helpful.

>>11466010
Well, they're the ones who want us there, let's ask where they want us. Though I think we should keep well clear of K-7.

rolled 5, 1, 6 = 12

>>11466097
A day or two, perhaps less. He might be awake by the time you get away from the crowd and return to Dreamwood, but 'very soon' is a good estimate. Of course, he might need a follow-up procedure afterwards, but if not, he will be free to go.

>>11466108
Either K1 or K8, your choice. They'd prefer K8 for now, since it's nearly perfectly preserved and they could use you well there. K1, though heavily damaged, is a very important facility, so anything you could do to help with repairs there would be appreciated.

>>11466108
Agreed, K7 we should save for much later. Once we can start moving MCV's without too much trouble we should build a containment dome or other similar structure over the site then send in hazmat teams to search it.

rolled 1, 6, 6 = 13

>>11466179
The Lord suggests that you smooth the above-ground portion over, so there aren't even ruins to make it easy to spot.

hi, I don't take part in this quest at all, but I'd just like to say that I hope you guys are all having a nice time and that I very much enjoy the presence of this quest thread. I see it as a symbol what hard work can put together and push forward regardless of the difficulties. It's always a good day for me on /tg/ if I see the A Frost Giant is Thee on the front page.

thank you, gentlemen

rolled 1, 1, 5 = 7

>>11466243
I appreciate it, and I hope my players do too.

That said, it has been a rather slow night. I should give you all fair warning that there will be no session tomorrow and none next week, though the quest will resume the week after that, if all goes well.

Shall we end here, or do you wish to continue further? I can answer questions if you don't feel like advancing the story itself.

>>11466290
Was kinda wondering where everyone else went too. I mean I stepped out for an hour and when I got back not a whole lot had happened.

>>11466207
Should we do something about that sooner then?

>>11466290
Continue. I'd personally like to timeskip through our days helping out the nobles at the K-sites, and think we should work at K-8.

After that, go talk with Canderous, because he seems like a fun guy to converse with.

>>11466290

I feel like keeping it going, myself. Let's finish up at the demonstration grounds, hear all the offers for the Zep business, hop back to Dreamwood for a good night's rest and then personally check in on Korus before we head back on over to K8.

rolled 2, 1, 6 = 9

>>11466361
Some nights are better than others. Given how many threads we've had, pure chance ensures that a lot of players will be missing in the odd session or two.

A bunch of repair golems or a group of earth mages would be able to eliminate the ruins relatively quickly. You might want to include a scribe to record any interesting inscriptions, and you'd need a cover story just in case. Perhaps you could build a mooring tower and supply base near there, and have your crews 'use' the discarded stone as construction material?

>>11466366
>>11466372
Okay then. Stand by.

>>11466402
Did we ever figure out (or ask for that matter) what the above ground structures were used by the outposts for? I'm just nervous about accidental breach while taking some of them out.

>>11466477

Well, if the video feed from k1 is any indication, they actually had small towns set aboveground, probably for family members.

>>11466537
Oh, shoot. I thought that was Kharok City seen from above K9 not a whole 'nother town above the outpost.

rolled 4, 2, 3 = 9

You decide to fill your monthly quota at K8, since the projects their would be more than useful to your efforts to build a fleet opposing Kharok. After all, FC and Canderous can handle K1's databases remotely, but hands-on exploration is something you're very good at. The demonstration concludes with lunch, during which you tell the First Lord of the Army that you prefer the weapon you only have to use once. You are asked to think about further Zeppelin production for the military and submit a proposal for construction of three six-ship combat squadrons, eight tenders, and four drop Zeppelins. Your Bureau of Defense is more than capable of handling the details, of course, and there is an offer for down-payment to assist with the building of more yards to handle all of these vessels.

The trip to K8 is uneventful, thankfully, though Canderous does report that he might have found an intact communications array. It looks like a repeater, not a part of any installation, designed to relay information to far-off points. During your continuing exploration of K8, Canderous and FC examine the device, which was only transmitting weakly, and confirm that it is meant to link Kharok and its installations with Beia, the small continent above this one. The FB recon drones are more than capable of scouting at that distance, if one of their number is used to 'bounce' data at high altitude.

rolled 6, 1, 5 = 12

>>11466629
In three days, you discover numerous unfinished prototypes and examine them, matching them to whatever data's left uncorrupted. There is at least one personal shield still operational, and an example of a modification to hover vessel shields allowing them to use multiple 'layers' to absorb high-velocity impacts. Another remarkable item is a deployable sensor field emitter that can scan and report on targets within a 1-mile range, and relay that information to weapons systems. It is small enough to be carried by a human and is evidently meant to pair with mobile turrets being developed in a not-yet-recovered installation.

Just before your time is up, Korus awakes, his body weak but free of deformities and his DNA cleansed of the damage that would have doomed him to a life of misery. According to scans, no further procedures are needed, but it's been suggested that you keep him either confined or suited in case he's vulnerable to re-infection. So little is understood about what, exactly, the Frost Giants are afflicted with that you don't know if there's a danger or not.

rolled 4, 5, 6 = 15

>>11466477
If the video feed of K9 is any indication, the installations were built beneath the Frost Giants' satellite towns, though that may only have been the case with K9. So far, you have found nothing much more complex or intact than Stonehenge above the installations. The ruins are quite a bit better preserved at Kharok Main.

>>11466660
are there options on what to do now or can we decide ourselves?

rolled 6, 3, 3 = 12

>>11466743
You can do as you wish. It has been suggested that you check on Korus or speak to Canderous. The latter can be done practically anywhere, thanks to the portable comm.

>>11466634
Although I am horrified at the idea it may be necessary to find or try and recreate the retrovirus that infected the Frost Giants to begin with. With a set of complete data on the virus it might be possible to create a vaccine some day.
Low priority.

We can still see about doing tests on an adult Frost Giant while we wait. Let's talk to Krous a bit before we head out on a capture mission though. See what his minde state is now.

>>11466634

Let's go chat up Korus once we've done our three days here, see how he's doing now that he dosen't need painkillers. Just for grins, see if any of those costumes that one anon presented piques his interest. Hell, all he's had to wear since we brought him in has been his old rags and whatever containment suit we had made for him.

Also, make sure to transmit data on all working prototypes to FC3 and Canderous. If any of it can be useful to our ships or ground crews, all the better.

>>11466773
ill go with this

>>11466764
Talk to Canderous about what kind of armor the various ships that we're building have.

rolled 6, 5, 2 = 13

>>11466773
>>11466809
Your three days done, you head out to K9, brimming with anticipation. If all has gone well, Korus is now the only other Frost Giant who matches the 'original' version of the race. Hopefully he's taking it well.

The adolescent is sitting in one of the medical station's observation rooms when you walk in, toying with a Rubik's cube, one of the things you had made for him. He smiles when he sees you.

“It worked, Maya,” he almost shouts, launching out of his chair, “I feel better than ever! I've still got some time yet,” he gestures to one of his many fading scars, “But I'll be fine before you know it. So, I guess,” He grins, “Thanks for kidnapping me, right?”

>>11466885
"Your welcome. This will hopefully lead to being able to restore more Ilara to what they should be.
"So, have you had a chance to think about what you'd like to do with your new-found health?"

>>11466885
if we have nothing better to do im for the adult frost giant test or time skipping until an event or some project completion or finding another facility.

>>11466885

"I'm glad you're taking this so well. Not many would be so happy after someone kidnaps them for bizarre experiments few people know about.

You know, it occurs to me, I've spent a lot of time digging through shattered records of what our people were, that I haven't had much time to study what we are now. Sad to say, I don't really know much about tribal life.

Maybe you could fill me in a bit?"

>>11466923
psst, Irala is the word you're looking for.

rolled 5, 4, 2 = 11

>>11466809
He would prefer something like the Hugo Boss-style uniforms your men wear. Not an actual uniform, just something close to it. It's grown on him during his time with you.

The data has already been transmitted, as a matter of course. Canderous is looking into fitting the dropships with the anti-impact shields, to help them survive if they crash into a building.

>>11466871
"Metal. Tough stuff, not your bullshit aluminum. The frames and internal armor are usually made of something we call 'Carbon Heavy', though it isn't carbon and it isn't heavy either. Well, not very. It's like foam. It may take up a lot of space, but it's a lot lighter than you'd think just from size. The outer hulls are either Carbon Light, titanium, or whatever happens to be lying around the bottom of the yard. The bigger the ship, the thicker the armor. Stuff like dropships are heavily armored on the bottom and have barely anything on the top. For an anti-fighter Corvette, it's the opposite. Now, if you want to change the distribution, maybe give that frigate a good shot at ramming something and coming out the other side, say the word."

>>11466885
"It's good to see that you're doing well. So, how are you feeling? Since we had to remove a good chunk of your brain, how are your memories?
"We'll have to do some tests, especially having Command give you some cognitive tests to see if there's been any improvement."

>>11466885
*Smirk* "I'm sure my enemies would love to use that one against me. Maya Terrasdotir stealer of children. I'm glad you're well though. The computers are worried you might get reinfected shomehow but it hasnt happened to me yet so we can hope.

Now e've got to see if we can do the same thing for older Frost Giants. If their minds are too far gone who knows how they'll react after waking up.

Meanwhile we should teach you how to read. Lucky for us the voice controls are mostly working now."

>>11466960
Order a set of clothing done in the Hugo Boss-style for Korus.
Have him registered as a low-level user in the K9 system so that he can read through the databases.
Have Command teach him reading and writing, and during that give him cognitive tests to see how smart he is.

rolled 3, 4, 2 = 9

>>11466923
"Uh... Well, like I said, I can't go back home unless I'm ready to die horribly. All I can really do is stay with you and your human friends. I can fight, and I can hunt, so if you got a need," he shrugs, "I'm up for it. If I get better at reading I could help you out with all these computer things too."

>>11466936
"Yeah, well, your experiments were a lot more fun than I would have had back home. I've had more free time with you than in the whole rest of my life. Plus," he taps his head, "Lasting difference."

"Well, what would you want to know? You can probably figure it out pretty easy. You're born, you learn to walk, you get beat a lot, you learn to bring in some food, you get beat some more, then, if you're real lucky, you get big enough to give a beatin' back. After that you either take a wife or butter up the chief enough to get the one you really want. Have kids and it's back to the beginning."

>>11467059
Are we going to trust Korus with knowledge about the Fleet Bases and our more secret plans?
He seems nice enough, especially after the operation. But I don't know if I trust him yet.

rolled 3, 4, 2 = 9

>>11466974
"Feeling like I just got this body." He flexes. "No pain, no aches, less angry. Good all around. As for the brain and stuff, no problems. You may not have picked this up, but there really isn't a whole lot I'd want to remember, anyway. I've been put through my paces, scanned a lot." He shrugs. "Computer says I'm smarter. Might get even better once that empty space up here fills back up."

>>11466986
"Look, there's no love lost between us and the little people, you know. I don't think anyone would care if you took a couple hundred of us and just started shooting. If it was the other way around, everyone I know'd be laughing their asses off."

"I don't know if it'll work. You might have to start young and wait a generation. I've been talking to your doctors a lot. Past a point, maybe there just isn't anything to get back."

>>11467059

"So, there's no real art? No music? No celebration beyond 'we get to eat. Pass me the damn chicken, shortshit'? Man, that -is- pretty awful.

I guess when pain haunts you your entire life, there's little to feel good about.

Hmm, you did mention earlier, there's a point where you start having some real pain, eventually. Does it happen to everyone, or has there ever been an instance you know of where it just didn't?"

>>11467059
"Any more help will always be appreciated. You could also go down to Dreamwood Academy to get a diploma if you want any specialized training.
"With the weapons we've developed and recovered from K9, even without magic you would be a terror on the battlefield.
"You could choose to become a researcher and help with recovering the ruins of the ancient Irala civilization.You would have a unique advantage, being the right size to use many of the devices, and already knowing the language, since the intelligences mostly speak in Iralan.
"Honestly, what you want to do is up to you. We can provide the training, but the motivation is up to you."

>>11467185
Yeah, and since the chief of the tribe is a mage does it effect them as much? Magic tends to require a lot of concentration.

>>11467094

news flash: we are the only reason he's now able to lead a normal life. He owes us huge and he knows it. We can trust him.

>>11467246
That is no guarantee. You haven't proven anything by your statement.
Besides, even if he is loyal, we don't know if he's able to watch what he says and keep secrets.

rolled 1, 2, 1 = 4

>>11467031
Done and done.

He will continue to be taught. Regular tests will be administered to see how his brain is reacting to the treatment.

>>11467185
"Well, we put skulls on a lot of stuff, if you call that art. Maybe once in a while a guy'll paint a picture of a screaming face on a banner to scare people on a raid. Music? Well, we got drums. That's about it. And we always celebrate when we get a big haul, or we fight somebody bigger and win. If your kid's shaman material, then there's a big party and you get to sit next to the chief."

"Huh. Well, I don't know. I guess magic can help, if you get someone to use it on you, but the pain just falling off on its own? I don't think I've heard of that. Around breeding age is when it happens. You start to lose yourself. Happened to my brothers, would've happened to me too." He smirks. "So, again, thanks for picking me up."

>>11467312
If we're going to experiment with an adult Frost Giant, then we should have Korus trained on a stunner so that he can be used in case the adult needs to be restrained.

Should we start on it now?

>>11467312

"All I've done, is given you what was taken from the rest of our people: The ability to choose your path in life. And kid, you're gonna have a long time to walk it."

>>11467355
YES finally.
lets find the nearest tribe and get one, or too.
if we are feeling brave try and get the leader.

rolled 1, 5, 1 = 7

>>11467240
"I'd like to stick with you. You're the only one of my kind who has any brains, if you ask me. If you want me to go to school or something, I guess I could, but from what I hear it takes years to learn something really useful. But you're always doing something interesting. Always looking for new stuff and going on adventures. I bet I can learn a lot from you, Maya."

>>11467244
The chief is not always a mage, and, in the case of Korus's tribe, he isn't. Their shaman rarely speaks, and shows no expression, but she's incredibly powerful, enough for her to be completely unassailable. She just doesn't have any interest in leading.

"I don't know. I think they just learn to clamp down on it, or maybe even use it. I'm not a mage, and it's not like they'd let me ask the shaman anything. Heard stories, that's it."

>>11467312
"Ah, you know, there's another something I'd like to bring up. You had a lot of damage from being close to some sort of radioactive source. Your tribe doesn't possess some kind of metal that's burning to the touch, do they? Something that being too close to for too long causes you to become sickly and lose your hair?"

>>11467390
Until we can develop lots and lots of knockout gas bombs we can drop from zeppelins, we should probably keep to kidnapping an isolated Giant.

rolled 5, 3, 5 = 13

>>11467355
>>11467390
You can have a transport armed with stunner rifles for long-range fire, if you want.

>>11467359
"Over two hundred years," he muses, "If I don't get myself killed. I wonder what everything'll look like by the time I shove off."

>>11467451
"...no? Why the hell would we keep anything that burns anywhere near us? The most we'd use is a fire for cooking, and we don't even do that most days. If there was anything like that around, everyone would say the ground is cursed and we'd just move."

>>11467491
stun guns

>>11467451
>You had a lot of damage from being close to some sort of radioactive source.
He did?

>>11467526
>You can have a transport armed with stunner rifles for long-range fire, if you want.

Lets load up. We're going for 1 this time not an entire tribe. That sort of thing should wait.

>>11467526
"Hmm. That's a real mystery then. I guess about the only way to solve it would be to use knockout gas on a whole tribe and bring in a geiger-counter while everyone was knocked out. Hell, it looked like a good half of your mutations were at some point in time caused by radiation exposure. It's the sort of thing that carries down bloodlines if you let it, but you had evidence of some of it being fresh."

rolled 3, 1, 2 = 6

>>11467577
As the scans said, yes. However, the medical console believed it was from an internal source, not an external one.

Time to capture an adult for study. I'll end this session around there. Stand by.

>>11467594
"Well, that's not good. Maybe half the stuff that's wrong with us isn't even 'supposed' to be wrong with us. I hope you find out what caused all this."

>>11467577
We have to keep in mind that Frost Giant mages are really powerful. They might not have the finesse of Perin combat mages, but they have much, much more power.
We're good, but they've had decades while we've only had a few years.

Perhaps the retrovirus added something similar to how radioactive stuff piles up in the Thyroid gland in humans, only in specific parts of the body to that it'd cause damage. Again, that's outside my field of expertise but it could work like that.

rolled 4, 1, 2 = 7

Korus accompanies you to the waiting transport, assisting your militiamen in loading stunner rifles aboard. A couple of the high nobles' subordinates insist on coming along if you're going to be taking Frost Giant artifacts out of the installation, and, while you don't particularly want them with you, you don't think this is the time to make your displeasure apparent.

The transport lifts off and heads toward the nearest camp, its gunners armed with the magitech rifles. One advantage to having Zeppelins and drones flying about is the mapping of tribe positions, most of which are well clear of any known ruins. It takes over an hour after your arrival at the closest point you're ready to get for a good target to appear. It's a single adult, heading to a small grove of obscenely tough trees growing out of the rocky Northern ground. He hits the dirt after a single shot.

Bringing him in proves to be an easy task, despite his size. Your researchers and the high nobles' men examine the subject, covered on three sized by militia with stunners. Korus looks him over, and frowns.

“That shield on his back is weird. It's got the same kinds of symbols around the edges as the shaman's robes. And he's got tattoos that look like those, too.”

>>11467816

"Eh, that's not good. Do you think we should put him back?"

rolled 2, 3, 2 = 7

>>11467860
"I don't know. A shaman wouldn't be out by himself, I don't think. Besides, he couldn't go down that easy if he had magic. Maybe he's got protective runes on him or something." Korus shrugs, keeping an eye on the unconscious giant. "Your call. Maybe the computers can tell if he's attuned."

Continue to K9?

>>11467860
lol
>>11467816
it would be good to test on a shaman as well as a normal one. maybe pick one more up just to make sure?

>>11467914

"Alright. Let's take him in for scanning. If it looks like we really can't do anything for him, we'll catch and release, leaving him in that grove he was going for."

>>11467816
This means we'll just have to be incredibly careful. It's too bad we dont have a lasting anti magic field we could use so that we could do an interrogation beforehand.

Screw it, let's atleast scan him before we decide.

>>11467816
That sounds like we might have gotten a shaman with us. This could be...dangerous.
Have our mages check to see if he has any magical capacity.
Keep him under sedation all the way back.
When we're back in K9, ask Command and Guardian if there's anti-magic restraints we could use. Otherwise, have a security golem contingent ready when we arrive.

rolled 5, 1, 3 = 9

>>11467952
>>11467960
>>11467989
You return to K9, keeping watch on the patient the whole way in, making sure he's separated from his shield and strapped tightly to a gurney. The stunner setting said he'd be out for 10-12 hours, but you're not taking any chances. An I.V.-type device is readied to sedate him immediately at the press of a button, just in case.

None of the mages you have with you can tell if the man's a mage himself or just charmed. You yourself don't sense anything different from Korus, but that's not your area of expertise. A dozen security golems stand by as you bring the man to a medical station, watching and waiting. Unfortunately, no anti-magic restraints are available, though you hope you won't need them.

The triage scan reports that the man is probably between 100 and 120 years old, despite looking like a rather healthy 30. His body is in a much more advanced stage of the 'infection' than Korus's was. His bones are fragmented masses ringed by dense muscle, his motor control nerves are frayed, tumorous ropes, and there are pockets of radioactive material strewn throughout his body, surrounded by cells containing absurd concentrations of lead. The brain's third quadrant has grown to such an extent that it encapsulates the 'true' brain and extends into the spinal cord, leaving only about 10% of the original part intact. It is estimated that he will not survive the next decade.

The tattoos on his skin are radiating healing energy, but they have long since ceased to be effective. It is unlikely that this man can even speak, much less reason. There is little chance that he can be saved.

>>11468148
Even the advanced medical systems at K9 won't be able to save him?
At the very least, everything should be documented.
Is there any way to restore functionality?
Confer with FC3 about the records concerning K2; were there any projects on cybernetic brain augmentations, and if they might be able to help this Giant.

>>11468148

"Hell, this one's a goner. Only got about 10% normal grey matter and he's got pockets of radioactive shit all over inside him. Poor bastard probably can't even talk anymore. We should just put him back where we found him.

Fill him with some painkiller before we drop him back off. Call it his final remittance."

>>11468242
I think we should try a little harder in seeing if we can help this man. It will help test the limits of what we can do, and provide valuable data for K9's medical databases on this curse.

>>11468242
I think we should try helping him anyways, or just end it for him right there. He's going to be in immense pain for the last years of his existence.
Him going out there alone may be a ritual where he's preparing to die.

rolled 6, 1, 2 = 9

>>11468239
It is certainly possible for the systems to heal the damage, at least to some parts. But at this point the brain no longer contains enough of the person to be worth saving. Essentially, whatever came out of the gene therapy chamber would have, at best, a child's mind, and at worst, be comatose or dead.

Everything will be documented, as normal.

Cybernetics could potentially replace much of the brain, but that would be more likely to give you a golem with the body of a Frost Giant than anything else. Korus, though his brain was impaired, still maintained a unique personality and at least average intelligence. That is not the case with this patient.

>>11468242
"You can't help him?" Korus asks, "Well, shit. I was kind of hoping... Oh well. I guess I can't say I'm surprised."

Consensus on returning patient to the grove?

rolled 4, 1, 5 = 10

>>11468333
Restoring the body is possible. Restoring the mind, such as it is, is not.

>>11468361
I stand by what I said in >>11468343
Ease things a bit for him. Maybe don't remove the parasite brain if it's required for him to keep going, but otherwise try helping.

>>11468361
Might as well. Hey can we implant him with an RF Id tag? Who knows where he might be headed, although I suspect he was headed to that location to prepare for his death. Leave him some food too.

>>11468361
If we are going to have him euthanized, I move to let him be awake and pumped with painkillers. No need to have him die in pain.

"He's too far gone. Even if we were able to save his body, there's not enough of what made him a person left.
"We'll have to try with someone else, someone younger."

>>11468361
Fix the body.

>>11468361

I don't really see much else we can do with him.

"Well, it looks like there's only a couple options in even bringing back a small amount of Irala: kidnapping adolescents to fix up like Korus here, or hope that there was a Kharok research facility that was looking into cloning technology, which will still require us kidnapping someone for basic genetic code."

Speaking of, does K9 have a place to store genetic samples? We could draw some of this guy's blood, fix it's genetic abnormalities, and start a small cloning operation later on if everything goes well.

rolled 6, 1, 6 = 13

>>11468401
Painkillers administered. He can be awoken at any time or kept sedated.

>>11468418
Yes, a short-range radio transmitter could be implanted.

>>11468420
"Then there's no reason to put him back, is there? When the painkillers ran out, he'd just end up in the same place. Even if he was going to die there, we've got him now. It could be... humane, I guess."

Consensus?

>>11468361
regardless of what we do with him im for getting another subject.
i want my curiosity on this matter satiated since the next chance wont be for a few weeks.

>>11468473
Or not necessarily cloning but mixing genes from a broad enough spectrum that it would allow the species to be sustainable.

We should remove some of the tumors for study. Maybe we can figure out what's causing them.

>>11468478
End it for him.
If someone wants to have him awake and under painkillers for this, I'm fine with that. We'd have to be careful he doesn't break stuff in that case.

>>11468478
Yes, wake him up. Maybe, if there is something of what he was left in that shell, we can ask for some last words if he can form them. Then administer the lethal dose and let him die in peace.

rolled 6, 6, 1 = 13

>>11468473
This man is over 100 years old, apparently in the last stage of the illness. Perhaps someone a few decades younger could still be saved, even if they weren't as young as Korus.

Yes, DNA samples can be taken and stored. However, to clone a person, you would either need an artificial womb, which was researched but not anywhere close to production, or a female to carry the child. In either case, cloning would not be instantaneous by any means.

>>11468530
The excision of the tumors can easily be done.

>>11468534
>>11468537
Very well. Stand by.

>>11468530

That's what I'm thinking. Though, we should probably occasionally pluck an adolescent from the wild anyway to give them treatment. If for nothing else than to give them a better life.

>>11468572
We should go back and explore the grove he was headed for, maybe return his body there. Take a portable scanner and see what was in there.

Okay, look. I didn't want to bring this up. I really didn't want to, but I think it has to be brought up.

Korus is young, and about to go into Frost Giant puberty. Should we make sure to get a young female Frost Giant soon? The scientific reason, of course, is to see if the disease/curse progresses the same in women, and to see if any of her eggs already show genetic contamination.
The other reason is to give Korus a girlfriend. So that he doesn't try to come on to us.

>>11468637
Eh, you know, I was gonna bring that up, too.

Shit will get weird if he doesn't have a playmate when he gets to that point, and shit getting weird lost us a lot of contributors before.

rolled 5, 5, 2 = 12

You choose your path. The patient, under plenty of painkillers, is awakened, given an injection to counteract the stun effect. Slowly, carefully, his eyes open. You speak to him, asking him simple questions, but he does not respond. He only stares at you, straining at his bonds a bit, his expression neutral. Nothing you or anyone else says provokes a response. He only stares, devoid of understanding.

You give the order. The patient's system is flooded with the same agent that dulls the pain, and he closes his eyes, relaxing into the gurney. In seconds, a life spanning more than a century comes to an end. The body is taken into an operating room, where the machines do their work, retrieving samples for study. It seems and odd thing to do, but there is no real reason to feel that way. You are trying to save these people, and the closer you get to that goal, the better.

rolled 2, 3, 3 = 8

>>11468602
If there is no objection, the body will be taken to the grove, and a scan will be run on the area.

>>11468637
>>11468661
Would you like to prioritize an adolescent female target?

>>11468637
On the note of a female's eggs:
Korus *ahem* family jewels may have to be tested for the contamination. Sperm is just as important in children-making, after all.

Capcha: butlering weight

>>11468704
>Would you like to prioritize an adolescent female target?
Yes but dont tell Korus that we're doing so.

>>11468704
i dont mind a female target his age but id also like to get an adult of w/e gender again if for nothing but to check for consistency and to see if they can be saved.

>>11468704
Let's get a female now. We've got an in-depth scan of a male specimen (Korus), and now we need a female specimen.

Also, for the sake of the quest, it should probably be done now, when there's less people on due to the time and less chance of driving off more players, rather than during a more busy time. It might seem unfair to take such unilateral action, and not have a consensus with a larger pool, but we had weirdness derail and depopulate us twice before, I don't want it to happen a third time.

rolled 5, 1, 4 = 10

>>11468709
There is no damaged DNA remaining in his body. Every cell was restored to the normal Frost Giant profile by the gene therapy treatment.

>>11468728
Very well.

>>11468742
Do you want to take multiple targets at a time or skip through several flights?

>>11468704

Yeah, that might be for the best.

Also, since we're here, let's go ahead and make our restoration project an official thing.

Put all our data on Korus, the development of his third lobe, our second subject's full report, the differences in physiology between ourself and the feral Irala, and our proposed plans to deal with this problem so far under the heading of Project Phoenix.

>>11468762
Let's take only individuals. Timeskip as necessary.

>>11468762
lets try multiple in one trip

>>11468762
So the new cells produced by his body are fixed, too. That's nice.

Unfortunately, I'll have to leave at this point, due to being a Kraut and the sun coming up. Good night (or day, rather, as it's 7 a.m.)
Been reading for ages, could only participate every once in a while, but I love reading.

Thanks for this great quest, Subprocessor DM. Also thanks to all participants for making (mostly) good decisions.

Capcha: strategies sightseer

>>11468825
>>11468806
timeskip didnt register so just to get this over with i change my vote to the timeskip idea.

rolled 4, 1, 4 = 9

As soon as the machines have finished their work, you retrieve the body, shield and all, and take it aboard the transport, depositing it in the grove of trees when you reach it. A cursory examination reveals the presence of bones, and a scan, as well as a probe by one of the earth mages, confirms that there are several dozen people buried here, and more than a few animals. The remains of armor and weaponry are also present.

In the next hour, you scout the camp repeatedly, finally getting another hit. One man, one woman, and one girl approximately Korus's age, by appearance. They are heading in the opposite direction from the grove. They are close together, so it would be easy enough to stun all of them quickly.

Orders?

>>11468853
takem if we can quickly and easily

rolled 5, 5, 1 = 11

>>11468849
Thank you, and thanks for being here.

>>11468853
I this case I have to go with "Gotta catch 'em all."
Might as well grab a family. Maybe that was the grandfather we encountered before?

>>11468878

Seconded. Project Phoenix might as well get a big batch of test subjects all at once for a good round. We can always stick some of them in stasis pods if we don't have the time to get around to them all at once.

>>11468853
Tranq'em and bag'em.

I'm wondering if we should talk with them before putting them through the procedure or not.
I think we should, and have them given painkillers, so that they'll be more amenable, and tell them that we will be performing an experiment on them to attempt to remove from them the curse placed upon us.

>>11468925
this


>and stiffened captcha has the right idea.

rolled 6, 2, 6 = 14

It takes barely any time at all. A moment, and all three are on the ground, unconscious. You are forced to make two trips to get them all, but they should have been far enough from the camp for you to avoid being noticed. All are readied for scanning, prepared for sedation if necessary and restrained. The two adults are tattooed, but not nearly to the extent the other was. The girl is scarred but otherwise unmarked.

Triage gives you good news. The adults probably aren't over forty, and all three share enough of a genetic profile to make it clear that they're related, though the adults are not the girl's parents. They are all in an early enough stage to be saved, though in the adults' case, they may be slightly different, personality-wise, following treatment.

Orders?

>>11468976
take them back.
Give them painkillers first and try talking to them. explain whats going on, how we want to help them.
then do the procedure.
if it isnt long timeskip, to after procedure.

>>11469017
after we FINALLY get this done im fine with ending the session there

>>11468976

Give them painkillers, wake em up, and give them a the same choice we gave Korus: "I can take you back where you were, and you can continue being exactly like you were before. Hell, I'll even leave you with some food. OR, you can stay, become the people you were meant to be, and never have to worry about pain, food, or being surrounded by irate assholes ever again."

>>11468976
What to do... revive the youngest and talk before treatment? I dont trust waking the adults.

>>11468976
Bring them to K9, keep them sedated for the trip, spend 2-3 hours arguing whether we should operate on them without waking them up to ask for their consent or asking them, and then get fed up with the arguing and just do it while they're asleep.

>>11468976
Put them one in a room. Check to make sure that none of them are Attuned. One at a time, give them painkillers, and wake them up while still restrained. We may also need to keep them gagged to stay silent.
Tell them that they are going to become part of our project, to see if we can heal the Irala of their curse.


As a sidenote: if the civilization collapsed 1800 years ago, and the average lifespan of the Frost Giants are about 150-170, then we can't say that to them the ruins are ancient. Old, yes, but not ancient.
It would be like us calling something from the 1700s ancient; it's old but not old enough to be considered ancient.

rolled 3, 5, 6 = 14

Filled with painkillers and awakened from the stun, the three are made aware of where they are, who you are, and what your intentions are. The two adults swear a good deal and make every attempt to escape, promising to kill you and everyone else with you once they slip from their bonds. You have them stunned again.

The girl is quite a bit more amicable, though extremely wary. She says that she was being taken to a place she didn't want to go, and would rather be here than there. She won't say any more than that, but is clearly intent on staying right where she is, no matter what you do to her.

rolled 6, 2, 5 = 13

>>11469017
>>11469032
The surgery and therapy will take several days, perhaps up to a week in the adults' case. Considering how much can happen in that amount of time, I'd be averse to a timeskip at the moment. However, if there is a consensus, I'll skip to the conclusion of the procedures. Since it's late, I'd like to handle this quickly, but I don't know if that would do it justice.

>>11469095
Okay then.
We'll put them all through the process. Maybe the adults will be more amicable once we've spooned out a 1/3rd of their brains.

>>11469132
I Really want to know the result. if we had another session id be willing to wait. but 2 weeks is....

>>11469095
Well. I guess that is the end of that story. Drug up the adults and have them shipped back. Leave them some food and a pair of decent Iralan-sized daggers as a token of good will, even if they wouldn't know good will from a kick in the teeth.

Let's introduce the girl to Korus so she can see how well the treatment went for him.

rolled 3, 1, 1 = 5

>>11469070
None are attuned, as far as you or anyone else can tell.

If the previous patient was in the final stage at no older than 130, it is possible that the average age for Frost Giants is now much closer to the human one.

>>11469143
>>11469170
Forward, then. I'll handle the other events during that time when we have our next session. Stand by.

>>11469132
Well, they're going to be unconscious for all of that time, we won't miss anything from them.

As for anything from the outside world, how about doing mini-timeskips of a few days?

>>11469188
Yes forward.

>>11469095
>She says that she was being taken to a place she didn't want to go, and would rather be here than there. She won't say any more than that, but is clearly intent on staying right where she is, no matter what you do to her.

Being sold to another tribe by her brother and sister?

rolled 6, 3, 2 = 11

>>11469192
New information almost always comes up during a timeskip, which means discussion, questions, and orders, as well as the occasional argument. It's not the thing to do at the end of a session, unless you would like a cliffhanger.

Well, since the adults basically gave us an answer of FUCK YOU, let's just dump them back where they were with a parting gift.

I'd really rather not have us start fundamentally altering a being against it's will like this, even if it is for their own good.

>>11469269
But I think we should do it. Simply because we need to know how much of their later development can be reversed, and how much of their personality and anger is due to the pain that they feel.
Besides, haven't you ever wanted, even a little, to walk the Dark Side with Dr. Moreau.

>>11469319
this
and that its more of a restoration to their natural state.

>>11469319
Fuck no. We're lawful good, and we're already skirting that line as it is.

>captcha: Nantucket Control

>>11469334
>>11469319
Please have timeskip underway. bed time is calling

>>11469269
We can still dump them after they've been cured if necessary.

>>11469319
>Simply because we need to know how much of their later development can be reversed, and how much of their personality and anger is due to the pain that they feel.
This.

rolled 5, 1, 1 = 7

The procedures go well, without a hitch, though it takes a bit longer for the adults, since they're farther along in stages. Korus spends the majority of his time in the medical station, watching the ancient machines return the three subjects to 'normal'. Whether he's particularly interested in the girl, you don't know, but it would be nice for him to have a companion besides yourself. In six days, the patients are all released from the chambers, ahead of schedule. Preliminary scans confirm that the adults will need a follow-up to remove the last remnants of the damage, but the young one is completely clear, just like Korus.

Upon awakening, the girl immediately asks how much time has passed, and takes the answer with great relief. You and Korus speak to her for a bit before moving on to the other two, glad to know that she is every bit as healthy, intelligent, and inquisitive as you'd expect. The adults, on the other hand, though pain-free and lacking the crushing influence of the third quadrant, are not. They aren't nearly as confrontational, and they don't threaten violence, but they're still clearly uncomfortable and more than a bit angry.

When they are told how long they've been here, the male grimaces, and the female looks away, but neither will tell you why. According to scans, both are healing steadily and should be back to something like average intelligence and emotional control in a short time. However, they are not very talkative and react especially negatively to the presence of humans. Interestingly, they request to stay in your care rather than be returned to their camp. Korus thinks they'll come around eventually, and you shouldn't expect them to be immediately and totally friendly or positive.

After all, they're still people, and people are stubborn.

>>11469355

Alright. Alright. Fine. We cure them, keep them under heavy sedation the whole time, then drop them off. If nothing else it should at least introduce healthier genetics into their tribe. Assuming neither of them have already bred.

>>11469373
we ending here subproc?

rolled 3, 2, 2 = 7

>>11469413
Yes.

>>11469373
>they request to stay in your care rather than be returned to their camp.
If my guess was correct they're in deep shit with not one but TWO tribes. Double the danger! Double the excitement!
Tune in next time!

How much time left until the deadline SDM?
(Also: good game.)

>>11469373
Most likely they ended up missing some kind of deadline, and if they return will likely face a beating at best, and torturous death at worst.
They will have to be kept under strict supervision; K9-Command and the security golems will need to back up the humans when we're not here.
They will have to be restricted even more than Korus or the girl (we should get her name).


Also, Lawful Good doesn't necessarily mean Lawful Nice.

rolled 6, 6, 6 = 18

>>11469458
Less than four and a half months. You should have all of FB3 and FB4's production done before deadline, including the Mobile Fabricator Base.

>>11469481
Strict supervision and plenty of security golems, aye.

The girl's name is Sala.

>>11469521
Have Sala go through the same tests as Korus, and give her the option of learning from K9-Command.

We'll have to get more specimens, but it seems that pre-adolescents are the best. They've been beaten enough to want to get out of their previous lives, but haven't lost their selves to the curse when it hits hard at puberty.

Huh, guess that reputation of being a child kidnapper that someone posted about is going to be pretty accurate after all.

>>11469373

Give them all stuff to do so they don't get bored. Shit, give them all some canvases and paint sets.

>>11469521
Is there anything we can do about getting thread #72 renamed on suptg?

rolled 5, 5, 6 = 16

>>11469593
As ordered.

>>11469614
Acknowledged.

>>11469618
You could try emailing Lord Licorice, but I don't see the need, since it has all the tags and I put links to previous threads in the OP post.

Good game tonight, Subproc. Shame there won't be another game for two weeks, but I'll be looking out for it again.

rolled 5, 1, 4 = 10

>>11469731
Thanks for participating. See you in two weeks.

>>11469642
I think the only thing left is to talk to Sala and Korus, give them more interaction, and wait for the troubles that accumulated during the week to beat down our door.

Is there anything else that other players want to do?

Thanks for the session, SubDM. See you in two weeks; I look forward to it.

rolled 2, 1, 6 = 9

>>11469834
Thank you for being here. See you later.