>>18013469
"Okay, so what else is there for shit to do? I definitely remember something about substances that affect the sensors at The Pond."

Em raises an eyebrow. "That's a nice way to put it. You're in the armed forces now, dude, you can ask if that's where we go to get fucked up."

"...So, is that where we--"

"Damn right it is."

"Sev also mentioned nobody really messes with it."

He grins. "Sev's full of it. We don't get wasted, usually, but most of us at least have a few. If you don't have anywhere to be when you're on Lifesaver Time, no reason not to get hammered."

"How about attack? Aren't we technically on duty all day?"

"Man, no one's going to attack the maverick hunters. Never stopped the human army. And we actually have emergency shit for full-scale attacks, clean out your system in a single go. I've never had it done, but Hammer said it was like someone replacing all of your circulatory fluid with liquid nitrogen." You almost shudder at the image. That doesn't sound fun.

>So what kind of jobs are there?
>Upgrades upgrades upgrades upgrades
>Well now I want some nice, delicious robohol. Pond?

You HAVE to post when I'm going to see spamalot...

>>18013503
Sorry, bro. Been a hectic couple of days. Enjoy the show!

Upgrades

For a Class A, Anode doesn't seem to be up to specs.

>>18013620
He's actually a pretty solid A-class, it's just that there's almost always room to improve. Don't forget that he's still pretty new.

Anyway, I guess going with this unless there are more votes in the next few minutes. I assume since it's so early I'll be running at a slower pace and off of less voting for a little while.

I was just going by his past matchups. Scraped by each time. Either Hunter HQ is throwing darts at the board or they really like pushing their hunters.
That, or the Maverick problem is pretty bad. (Hey, reploid production companies: stop building murder-bots with beam cannons. The problem should go away on it's own.)

Other alternative: someone's out to get us. And has been tampering with mission data to get us into trouble...

>>18013620
You sigh. Checking out the Pond does sound interesting, but your recent ass-kicking is still on your mind. If you're going to avoid repeating the experience you need to get better equipment.

"All right, let's see about starting those upgrades, if you don't mind," you decide.

"Sure, sure. Lemme see your compensator."

"This coming from you, saber-boy?" Smirking, you hand off your lance to Em, who immediately begins inspecting it intently (making you smirk harder).

"Yes, that's right, sabers. It's not size, it's what you do with it. Oh, that reminds me."

"...It does?"

"No, seriously. The other thing you have to do around here. Sparring. Training. That shit. We've got some facilities around back at the range."

"Yeah? Maybe I can give that a look later." Weapons are good and all, but practice is probably even more helpful.

Em doesn't answer as he starts to disassemble your lance, carefully unlocking the casing and removing it. He's clearly walked the hall blind like this before. He mumbles stuff about the conduits and the magnetics as he goes, sounding vaguely interested. You eventually make it back to the labs at your slowed pace.

...only to find a handful of reploids already inside. One looks up. It's a Lanceteamer Bingo, the same generation models Guns had as his honor guard. He locks eyes with you, nods slowly, and goes back to disassembling his buster rifle. Beside him, another doesn't even do that, organizing a set of small tools and occasionally handing one to his partner, without so much as a word.

Em doesn't seem to notice or care, picking a clear space.
>Help out?
>What is this I don't even. I'll just go do something else (?)

Help out

We had questions: maybe they have answers.

Back from a store run. We caffeinated now.
>>18014017
Em casts about for some of his tools, clinching your decision. "Tell me what you need."

Without looking up (is that a thing with techs?), he points toward the back corner. "Regulator switch. It's the little one with the crescent-shaped head." You recognize it as the tool he used to kill power to your leg as you retrieve it. He takes it with a mumbled thanks and quickly does the same to your lance. "Okay, now I need the EM-insulator gloves..."

It turns into a little lesson as you help gather the tools for him, learning the names and functions of most of them, watching Em dissect and work on your beam lance between errands. Eventually those two LTBs move from buster maintenance to a small seat in the corner, obscured by a monitor. You can't make out what they're doing from here, but you can hear them as a Steel Beret asks one questions, answered in a surprisingly soft voice.
"...Thirteen. The first trip doesn't count."
"Okay, good. Now say the color of the words, not the text..."

>?

Move to observe the LTBs.
I am guessing they are testing them in some way. Perhaps learning the criteria of diagnosis and signs of 'going maverick' might help us in the future. (Since anyone could go maverick... Even us)

Almost forgot: Previous thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17921869/

>>18014262
Curiosity overwhelms you, and while Emerald continues working his magic on your lance, you move further back to see.

The LTBs--broad-shouldered, with an almost gold-colored armor adorned with their distinctive lance insignia--always manage to look imposing, despite the age of the model. One looks intently at the monitor beside the Steel Beret you heard. The other, seated, has removed the outer plating of his helmet to reveal his electronic brain, leads and wires running from it to a small diagnostic assembly at a terminal. The Beret sits there, reading the data and occasionally marking something off. He speaks up again as you watch.

"You can take ten depleted batteries and make one fully-charged one. If you find one hundred depleted batteries, how many charged ones can you make?"

The LTB doesn't speak for a moment. You could step in and speak up, or just stay quiet.

>?

>>18014697
I say let the LTB take it. Last thing we need to do is screw up a test. Also, these simulators/testing things... what kind of opponents do we have available? Getting our shit wrecked by a simulation of X or Zero sounds like an enjoyable diversion/way to gauge ourselves.

Stay quiet, we don't want to mess with whatever test is taking place here.

>>18014782
You'd have to see what simulations are available. I can tell you my co-conspirator for MHQ wants to see you run a simulation against Sigma just to see how fast your shit is wrecked. Also, there's more mundane training available via sparring.

"...Ten. No, eleven. You can make one more battery if you use the ten you made." The Beret nods.

"Very good. All your patterns look good this week. How have you been feeling?"

"...Good," says the LTB. If you didn't know better, you'd just think he was shy.

The Beret marks something off on the terminal. "Any more headaches?"

"...Some."

The ask-answer continues like that a while, as the SB continues interviewing the terse Lanceteamer. At some point, your intrusion is noticed and the second LTB fixes you with an even, level stare. His eyes stay on yours the entire time, though he doesn't say a word.

>?

>>18014856
>Fight a Simulation of Sigma
>Sigma is a sentient virus
...let's not. Just to be safe. Even if no one is aware of his real virus-nature yet.

>>18014856
I recommend we stay friendly. Ask him how they're feeling, mosey back to Em and see how our Spear is looking.

>>18015016
"Your friend all right?" You ask quietly, meeting his gaze.

The LTB nods. "Periodic testing. My turn next."

You nod back, and return to Em, leaving them to it. He's modified the back of your lance extensively already. The pommel cap is currently removed, and beneath it he's lathed a small groove down to the interior.

"Older models," Em says as he examines the channels your capacitor energy travels through. "They have a tendency towards mental health issues. Not like going maverick, it's just that they need electronic brain therapy to regulate. LTAs--Assails--have problems with assertion and independence. Given that by now quite a few have been promoted in the field or because of their skills..."

"Sheesh." It's easy to forget you're a product of years of advances in the field of robotics. "So, how's it going?"

"Not bad, but there's really not much I can do. I mean, I think I know how, but I'd rather not test that and explode your arm. This is mostly just modifying the hilt for the expert."

"Any ETA on that?" you ask.

"No idea. I'll get a comm message and bounce it off you when they're on their way. Why? You getting antsy? If you want to clear off, I can just send you a message when it's time."

>?

>>18015187
Like our limbs exploding bothers us anymore. Sparring and training should probably come after we get our upgrades, and R&D was still busy the last time we checked in, right? Pond time.

>>18015277
"All set?" You ask as Em reassembles your lance and hands it back.

"All set."

"No sense waiting around?"

"Nope."

You grin. "Pond time?"

"Pond time." He grins back, raising an arm. You hit it with your own with a satisfying clank, sparks flying from the impact of the classic reploid high-five.

The Pond is surprisingly full. Despite the exterior being the same dull metals as the rest of the base, the inside has been done up like an old wooden structure. It's far busier than you'd expected it to be, with everything from a table of Lanceteamer Assails in the back corner, speaking in hushed voices, to a boistrous Steel Beret (one of the ones from your mission, you realize) with his arm held in some kind of sling, laughing uproariously. There's even a small stage, and, along the wall, a classic bar, stools, counter, barkeep, and all. A variety of noncombat staff, both human and reploid relax at the tables or the stools. Music plays over the din.

>What do?

Theme: http://youtu.be/gQWAcgefsQQ

Also goddamn it's hard to find words for the reploid arm-bump. Basically it's this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WKCNuFZOE1w#t=70s
We need a name for that. Forearm/arm bump? Respek Bracer? Also, damn, that game didn't age well.

Humans? Really?

Right, so... uh... let's get hooked up with a drink.

>>18016039
Carefully, you and Em make your way inside and through the crowd, taking up seats at the bar. You quickly take a look around, and realize you know the guy to your left--he was the dog-type reploid you saw on your first day. He glances at you and Em, who waves. "Hey, Schwarz." The dog-man--decked out in matte-painted armor hybridized with some kind of coat--grunts in reply.

Em holds up a hand, calling over the reploid bartender--who, amusingly, has a silk bow-tie over his armor plating. "Gimme a DN. What're you having, the doppel?"

"Weissebier," Schwarzhund says tersely.

"That sounds good. I'll do one of those."

"DN?" You ask him.

"Data Nanite. It's a suspension of nanomachines that cause mild hallucination and cognitive disruption."

"So, drunk."

"Yup. Someone had the brilliant idea of putting them in actual alcohols for the taste. Some of the purists say it ruins the drink, others think it's a nice revival."

You look over the reploid menu as the barkeep gets Em's drink.

>Data Nanites (straight or choose beverage)
>Circuit Interruptors
>LN Cooling
>Oh god what are these halp

Em's a man of taste. Bartender, make it two DNs!

>>18016279
"I'm out of my depths here," you admit. "I'll just have one of those too."

The reploid slides two tall glasses--actual glass, you note--over to you and Em, and then starts on a new one for Schwarz. You look it over, noting the cloudy coloration.

"Is that the nanites?" Em shakes his head after taking a long pull from his glass.

"Nah. That's the yeast--this is an unfiltered beer. Schwarz turned me on to it--just kinda feels right if you're also adding nanites, you know?"

You take a sip gingerly--you can definitely make out a bit of citrus in the otherwise complex flavor. You try to pick out more, but given you've never so much as seen real beer before, you can't quite make anything out...

"Not bad," you decide. "Probably need to try more to get a feel for it." Shwarz grunts again, this time in approval. You don't feel anything yet, but you've only had one sip.

>Drink fast/slow?
>Talk? What?

Also, someone's going to have to tell me how I got to beer nerdery in a goddamn Megaman quest. Not that I mind.

Is it like a sports bar? Any TV, music... anything to idly fixate on?

Drink slowly so you can get a feel for it first.

>>18016894
>>18016919
Slowly, you work at your beer, taking it at your own pace. Shwarz is taking his about as slowly, though with longer, deeper pulls. Em is rather quickly bolting through his, but not so fast that he can't properly enjoy it. Turning around, you lean back against the bar and look up, noting the ring of screens overhead.

"...taken to calling the compound 'Doppler Town' as more and more scientists, military experts, and even civilian workforce flock in to the growing research hub, already producing a swiftly-growing economy."

The reporter walks through a busy, sunlit street, past rows of tall buildings, several under construction. "The booming community can already claim to have some of the best and brightest thinkers of our generation. This despite the troubling setback of, in Doctor Doppler's own words, the 'failure' of the Philosopher project. In any case, the research facilities and the growing support infrastructure around it show no sign of slowing, particularly with Doppler Labs announcing yesterday its new Neuro-Computer project."

You think you might be starting to feel the effects of the nanites, but you're not sure yet. Shwarz remains silent as ever, and Em alternates between looking around the room, drinking, and watching the vidscreens.

>?

>>18017142
Drinking at a bar: it's kinda like that, untill the lack of motor finenness kicks in.

Make a sign to Em, see what he knows about about the town, while gently prodding schwarzhound about some good beverages - looks like that particular hunter knows his way around good drinks.
Learning how to drink - and hold in your nanites - might be beneficial in the future. Few men are as trustable as solid, dependable drunks.

> Schwarzhund

Isn't he a boss in one of the MMZ games? May be mixing it up.

Also, Doppler is still not crazy. Also, I don't remember ever seeing a human in MMX.

Do they have pool tables here?

>>18017237
You motion to the TV. "What's the story there?"

"Doppler Town? Iunno," Em says, putting down his emptied glass with a long exhale. "Started off as a research place. Still is, I guess. Anyway, they started getting all kinds of attention. Got a big research grant a year ago and now it's filling up with people?"

You nod. You turn back to the tacit Schwarzhund. "So what's good here?"

"Everything. Try everything. Not all at once. Experiment, over time."

"Any favorites?" you ask.

"Doppelbock," he answers. "Interrupters after long missions."

He doesn't seem averse to talking... just very tight-lipped. You could probably try to get to know him better, if you wanted.

>?

>Neuro Computer

Not crazy, but getting close.

>>18017417
Nope, re: MMZ.
There are still humans--Cain's human and X3 was the last game he appeared in. They do serve in the maverick hunters, and some personnel even serve in combat capacity.
There are in fact pool tables. Reploids sometimes have trouble with the cues designed for smaller hands.

>>18017486
This bar is entirely too quiet. Move over to our Steel Beret buddy and he can tell everyone about how hard our asses were kicked on that last mission while we drink.

>>18017689
seconding this

>>18017689
>>18017797
"I'll be back," you say, pushing off the bar and heading off, drink in your hand. The Beret is only laughing louder since you got in. He throws you a salute--with the arm in the sling. Fortunately, he's drunk enough that it probably doesn't hurt as much.

"Th' man himself!" He says. "This guy. This guy!" He points at you. "This guuuuy! He's the greatest!"

How greatest are you? Being too modest might kill his buzz, but you're still not exactly feeling like hot shit. Wat do?

>>18017894
I don't know how much is in a glass, drink it in one gulp, order a new one, and start talking. Try to keep to the facts, but maybe a bit action-y.

"So there was I, with these guys as my backup. Wallaby was fricking fast, and took out two of them in a blink of an eye. BANG-BANG, just like that!"

Leave out the parts about Wallaby not killing on purpose. Also, I'm guessing this guy is the one who got smashed.

>>18018139
End with how

"I was wondering how we would get out the blast door, but apparently I made nice cozy hole anyway..."

>>18018274
No, wait, forget about that. Damn, I wish we had the gun on hand, then we could have

"and all that is left of Wallaby is this" *pull gun*

So I just had a really fucking bad idea.
If I/the thread last through tomorrow and I'm coherent, I'm going to try matching painkiller high with Anode getting fucking trashed. And write accordingly.

>>18018139
"These guys," you say, pointing back at the Beret. You recognize him--he was in the warehouse with you. You pound down the last quarter of your drink, with a little effort, and wipe your mouth on your arm. "You should've seen 'em."

You and the Beret start telling the story by turns, and about halfway through the rest of that drink hits you. Naturally, by then you'd gotten another. Increasingly disoriented, but increasingly uncaring about said disorientation, you get as excited as he is.

"...And then the ground starts shaking like God is punching it..."

"...juggle a grenade and then the Roader smashes into his face..."

"Does him execution style right in the frigging head, but..."

"...threw a kamehameha do you know what a kamehameha is no internet I'll know if you look."

"And I swear it was visible from orbit!"

Haha...hoo. Oh. So that's why people drink.

>Buzzed, yes. Drunk, no. Let's fix that.
>Resume chatting with Em/Schwarz?

>Resume chatting with Em/Schwarz

Give the Steels a farewell and a get well, and order the wounded hero a drink.

Then, get back to Em and Hound.

>>18018642
You give your comrade in arms one last slap on the back, buy him one more of the last round, and head back to your stool, a little dizzy. Em borrowed it to better talk to Schwarz over the growing din, but hops over to his when he sees you.
"Popular," Shwarz notes as you sit down.

"Eh, maybe. He was with me last op."

"Yeah." He finishes his glass, and then slides its fresh replacement over to you. "Wanna talk about it?"

>...Yeah.
>...Nah.

...Yeah.

>>18018836
Can't hurt.

>>18018836
Yay

I mean Yeah

After being so slow all damn day I hate to do this, but this is the last update for the night. Surgery to sleep early for.
>>18019154
"...Yeah." You heave a sigh and take a long, long drink. "Guns...he had me. He spent the whole time winning and... and TEACHING me. He was that far ahead. He could have killed my team, like..."

"Like you did his?"

"Yeah, that." You mutter sullenly.

"Enemy combatants."

"And I'm supposed to be A-class, but so was Guns, and..."

"SA."

"What? Really?"

"Sparred him. Won. Deserved the rating."

Em nods enthusiastically, both trying to reassure you and from mounting inebriation. "Been tryin'a get Special for ages now. Letters're hard to change."

"Let me guess. Mission compromised, lost fight, almost died, don't think success or survival were your doing."

"...Pretty much," you slump down.

"Been there. All have. Takes it out of you."

"So what? What do you do?"

"Pick up. Think about it. Move on, but don't forget. Keep going."

"Keep going," Em agrees.

"You're young. You learned. You lived. Not everybody does." After a moment's pause, he pats you on the shoulder. "Keep at it."

----
Got an idea where I'm going with this when next I write, but feel free to add things to cover between now and then. Can't promise anything, but if the thread's around and I'm lucidish, I'll continue.

>>18019366
Surgery for what?

Do not forget, gentlemen. We still have a prank war to wage. Ought to get to that sooner than later, but perhaps not right now.

Also fuck year drunk robots

You're probably asleep or gone already, but good luck in the shop, OP.

>>>/vg/53853

Megaman General on /vg/ if you haven't been there already, though I suspect you have.

Picture only tangentially related.

For those wondering, the op is getting his wisdom teeth removed. Anesthesia and all makes for probable loopy mindset.

good luck to you op
Wisdom teeth are a bitch

Bump!

>>18023222
Well, let's not bump with just bumps. Maybe a bit of speculation is in order.

In between India's British-Indian-Pakistan and Schwarzhund's fairly apparent German ancestry (complete with Teutonic terseness), it is left for us to wonder where WE are from. One could always assume America or Canada, but I feel the matter deserves exploration. We're part of a military contract, but what military? Who made us?

Also, I move that we purchase a home entertainment center, a library of movies, and enough popcorn to drown a horse in, and install it in either the Lounge or in our own quarters.

>>18023535
We're pretty androgynous in multiple respects. Outside of our schematics, the only things we really know about ourselves is that we're fresh off the assembly line, and we have a "sister" named Cathode who got shuffled into another division, no doubt laying down some mean artillery somewhere.

Not quite a tabula rasa, but there's plenty of gaps to fill in. Hopefully, opportunities to do as such come up.

>vindicating stvoll
Wait, what? When did Stvoll get thrown in the slammer? We gotta bust him out, Captcha.

>>18023848
I dunno. We keep getting called boy and guy, so I think we must be at least a little masculine in appearance.

I think the next mission we take should be an easier one, B class or something. And we definitely ought to go out sparring at some point, with Em. And maybe Wellington, just in case he's got some kind of badass beam rapier he doesn't show off.

>>18024102
We should probably find Cathode as well, check in on her and see how she's doing.

ALSO: OP has got to get into the habit of posting previous quests from the archive.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17738107/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17791182/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17821490/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17921869/

>>18024102
Considering that Command initially under-ranked Guns Wallaby as A when he was actually SA, and Chaff Weasel was a crafty sumbitch when we were in an environment that pandered to our capabilities, I'd say we've done rather well for ourselves. Anode is 2-0, both against Mavericks that no one would take lightly.

And we're as green as greenhorns get.

>>18024169
Still, we oughtn't burn ourselves out. We've done pretty damn good, that's for sure, but there were a lot of close shaves.

>>18024204
Well, duh. We're not THAT dumb. We're more than likely on leave right now, even though we're already patched up. I'd agree that we take it easy, get some upgrades, and bone up on our techniques.

Who knows? Maybe we can put in a word to have Cathode transferred to the Fourth. After all, she IS our natural counterpart.