>Current objectives:
-Find your way back to the crossroads.
-Find your way back to Earth.
-Find the Kema, who can tell you more about using magic through machinery
-Discover what this huge war is about, and how it's threatening to destroy the universe.

>Current inventory
-1 KV-09 Combination assault blade/energy pistol. Modified with the Void Knight Shield
-1 Screwdriver
-1 Adjustable wrench
-Various spare parts
-A pouch of gold coins
-Another pouch with 19 "Calling Crystals"
-9/10 full oil can

>Current energy stored
-4 Aether tank
-1 Void tank
-1 Apotropeia tank
-0 empty tanks

>Calling Crystal contacts
-Jodo, chief of Yujun village (Palia)

"That was a pleasant evening." You say to the empty room. Oz and Savvi apparently rented it to use for material storage. But as their materials haven't arrived yet, they figured that it wouldn't hurt to let you sleep in here.

Dinner was... interesting. After explaining how you can scan things and doing a demonstration by telling Savvi what she is and where she's from (An Ethage from Duromir), you were able to discern that what you ate was in fact etable.

Aftet that, you all went around the table sharing the story of why you're out here travelling the universe.

Oz as it turns out is a bit of a rebel. The Runic Alphabet that he seeks has been lost for several centuries, and seeking it out was made to be a taboo.

Savvi is what is known as a Weaver. Apparently people from her race have suh a strong connection to the Aether that they can bend it to their will. However, the will itself must be strong in order to keep control of it.

At first you thought that Dragonslayer was Thorns occupation. But as it turns out that's actually what her race is called. The dragons themselves gave them the power to hunt and kill feral dragons, because a dragon cannot kill another dragon without becoming feral themselves.

Rose accidentally left her home planet when she was very young, and continued to drift from world to world until the Corruption started to hunt her. It was around this time that she met Thorn, who's been drifting along with her ever since.

You told them about how you came to be the Void Knight, leaving out the bits about what was happening on Earth at the time.

And now you've got a room to yourself, time to...

>[ ] Do some maintenance

>[ ] Chat with your AI

>[ ] Sleeeeeeep

>>29858644
>perform maintenance
>chat with ai

Might as well do both

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>>29858644
maintenance we are mechanic we keep stuff running we want to avoid any more damage than possible

>let the writing commence!

>>29859321
oops wrong image

<Disconnect right leg socket.

You pull off your right leg. You figure that if anything needs fixing, it's probably that.
Laying your tools out in front of you, you feel dreadfully unprepared. "A wrench and a screwdriver..." You sigh. "If I ever need to replace a wire I might be in some trouble..."

With that you get to work, popping the bolt cover off the knee joint with your screwdriver before removing the bolt with the wrench. "I certainly hope I can get some proper tools somewhere."

Looking inside the joint, you see that there's a bit of wear and tear, but nothing too serious. Satisfied, you clean it out and repeat the process with the ankle joint.

<How far along are you on those new coordinates?
>I have 2 new coordinates, and I have calculated that there are 179 Aether threads running from this planet.
<179? How does a planet get 179 of these things?
>I do not believe that all of them occured naturally.

You finish up maintenance on your right leg by checking the energy storage/scrubber to make sure it's still functioning. You're only semi surprised to find that it's filled with Aether. "So those got upgraded as well..." You say as you replace the cover and lock your right leg back into place.

Starting on your left leg, you continue to chat with your AI

<So... Aether threads can be created unnaturally?
>Yes. Though doing so is not reccomended, as it stretches the Aether in ways that it is not meant to.
<Could that be another reason why the boundary between Aether and Void is weakening?
>It is not a possibility that I would rule out.

>[1/?]

<I remember you saying something before about 'further upgrades'. What did you mean by that?
>The sheild assimilated your current systems without changing too much, as it did not understand how you work.

You chuckle. Perhaps you have a bit in common with this 'sheild' after all.

>As it learns more about your systems and how best to improve upon them, changes can be made.
<But not without my permission, correct?
>Correct.

You stick your left leg back into the socket at your hip, having finished checking it for damage. "Now comes the tricky part..."

<Disengage left arm socket lock.

You pop off your left arm and pull a chair over to put it on. "This was so much easier when I had-... When I had Hannah..." She was always around to give you a hand with this shit. But now...

You shake your head and focus your attention on the piece of machinery in front of you. That train of thought will get you nowhere.

<I don't suppose you have a name, do you?
>I am designated VKAA system, if that's what you're asking.
<Not really... I mean an actual name
>I do not.
<Hmm... You need a name, I can't keep calling you nothing in particular forever.
>Correction, I do not require a name. You require a name for me.


>[ ] HAHAHA Stupid fuckin' bitch it is!

>[ ] VKAA... Maybe Vicky would work...

>[ ] Other

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>>29860096
>>29860096
vicky

>>29860096
so lonely in here

>Sorry, had to go do something.

>writing.

>>29860395
I'm here too. And I also vote for Vicky.

<I suppose I'll just call you Vicky for simplicity's sake.
>True. That will simplify things.

Damn this arm is stubborn. If you had an extra pair of hands this would go much faster.

<I don't suppose these upgrades could include an extra pair of hands, could they?
>I believe that is beyond the scope of what the sheild is capable of.

You suppose you'll have to make do with what you've got for the time being...

[1/?]

Done! It took all of your fingers, both of your feet and most of your teeth. But you got it finished.

Triumphant, you lock the arm back into place and do a quick movement range test on all your joints. Once you're satisfied that everything works, you take a seat and re-oil everything.

<In that book Oz and Savvi showed us, was there anything worth noting?
>They had a list of planets where they had discovered Corruption, as well as a few of the locations where battles between the Kalkarri and The Proclamation have taken place.

Good, those are both things that you should check out at some point.

<Anything on the Crossroads?
>No.

Not so good.

<Run optical range and focus speed checks on left eye, as well as auditory range and directional hearing sensor tests while I'm out.
>It will be done. Would you like me to set a wake up parameter?
<Wake me if you hear movement next door. I don't wanna sleep in like a jackass again...
>Alarm parameters set. Sleep well.

You toss your bags and pouches to the side before hopping onto the small bed and closing your eyes.

It's time for you to sleep.

To sleep, perchance to dream...

>[2/?]

>>29860569
hmm
we may have to give up this lonely travel soon... perhaps joining a group is the way to go.... that or establish some form of home base.... such as at jodos town..... or something

You pace around your small quarters. You've been doing this a lot lately.

She's alive. You never thought you'd see her again, but Hannah's alive and she's coming back.

You thought that the mission to scout out the Metal Suit production facility was idiocy. There was nothing to be learned. We know they're making Metal Suits, and we know for the most part what their specs are. Sending a scouting team was wasteful.
And then she told you she was going. That hurt. You tried your best to convince her not to, you even appealed to the brass. But still, 3 weeks ago she left. She tried to cheer you up, but for all this time you've been feeling down.

But she's coming back! So you should be happy...

Instead all you can seem to feel is dread...

You're broken from your pacing and your reverie by the sound of the door opening. You feel your heart jump into your throat when you see who opened it.

"There you are Logan! I was surprised when I didn't see you in the welcoming party." She says, walking over to you and pecking you on the cheek.

You sigh. "Surprised? I figured you'd be more surprised if I was actually there. You know how I felt about this mission." You reply, taking one of her bags and putting it on her workbench.

She thinks for a second before responding. "Oh, I suppose you don't... But it was still kind of disappointing." She say, pouting slightly.

She seems... Different... Something is odd, but you can't quite put your finger on it.

You sit down and look at her more seriously. "So?" You ask.

She gets a strange look on her face, her focus torn back from unpacking her stuff. "So?" She looks... Confused?

"How did the mission go?" You ask.

"Not too badly. For a while it looked like we might've been had, until Big Bert..." She trails off, looking sad.

You had heard about Big Bert. When it looked like the scouting mission was about to go bad, he decided to play decoy. Everyone knows what happens to the decoy...

You talk to her for a while longer, still unable to shake the feeling of dread that's settled in.

And even if you don't want to. Even if closing your eyes and shutting your ears seems preferable to actually thinking it. You realize why.

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<Message prompt.
>Send to?
<All resistance members currently on base, excluding those from the scouting team.
>Message contents?
<The scouting team has been compromised.
>Send now?

You leave it there... You have to make sure. This is a big leap in logic, and if you're wrong it'll cost you everything.

Your head moves at a million miles a minute as you walk over to her. Her back is turned right now, her eyes focused on something on the workbench.

"So Hannah, I heard Gerrard is having a poker game tomorrow night. He was wondering if you wanted to join in." You say, your eyes locked on the handle of the gun poking out of the holster on her belt.

She stops working for a second, pursing her lips as she considers this. "Sounds good!" She turns back to say to you with a smile, before refocusing on her work.

There it is.

It's like she's not there, and in her place is someone who may have read about her. Maybe they even talked to her a few times. But it isn't her.

Which only leaves one possibility.

<Send message.
>Message sent.

You wrap an arm around her waist, pulling the gun off her belt and pressing it into her back.

"So why don't you tell me just when Hannah got plugged?"

>[4/?]

>>29861836
oh my.... I knew it would be bad but full infiltration shoot the thing wearing her face your self...wow.

"Logan? Is this some kind of joke? Because it's not funny!" It says, turning its head to look at you.

You can feel the familiar coldness spread through you. Your eyes must look like death, because she drops the act immediately.

"What gave it away?" It asks, no longer attempting to act like Hannah.

"Gerrard. Hannah hates his guts. Your acting could use some work too." You reply.

"Hmm, and here I thought I had this whole infiltration figured out... I suppose This base will have to come down the hard way then."

It glares at you. "... And it WILL come down the hard way."

You want to shoot now, but this may be your only chance... "Why are you doing this?" You ask, hoping for some reason, some excuse, SOMETHING that makes sense.

"You want to know?" It asks. You nod. "You'll just have to find out when you all become one of us."

You grit your teeth, you've had enough of this.

"It'll be soon. We're just-"

Your finger moves that extra inch, cutting it off.

It felt like a mile.

You wake with a start, sweating and breathing heavily.

>Awake so soon Logan? The parameters for your alarm haven't even come close to being met yet.

You take a moment to catch your breath. You had hoped these dreams would end, not get worse.

<What time is it? How long did I sleep?
>Applying an earth standard to this planet's time, it would be 4am. You have slept for 5 hours.

You look out the window, looking to see if the sun is coming up. Forgetting that you're currently underground.

>Your physical state indicates distress.
<Bad dream... Nothing to worry about.
>Noted.

You doubt that you could get back to sleep now. With that in mind you...

>[ ] Try anyways

>[ ] Go for a walk

>[ ] See if anyone is awake next door

>>29862068
Damn.
just... damn.

>>29862317
see if anyone is awake next door

Rolled 30

>>29862317
>[ ] Go for a walk
and
>[ ] See if anyone is awake next door

>writing

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"Oh screw it..." You say, heading out the door into the hall.

You're on another planet. ANOTHER FUCKING PLANET. You may be the first human EVER to come out this far, and you've been setting a terrible precident.

Done calming youself, you decide to explore the city for a bit.

But as you pass by the other room, you figure you should see if anyone is awake. Just in case.

You knock gently, not wanting to wake anyone up. Surprisingly, you hear footsteps from the other side. The door opens and you see Rose. "Oh, Logan. What are you doing up so early?"

"Trouble sleeping. What about you?"

"I don't need a lot of sleep, but Savvi says that I have to meditate if I want to keep my skeleton keys in check. I was just finishing up when you knocked. What's up?"

"Not particularly. I was going to head for a walk and I wanted to see if anyone was up in here..."

>[ ] Get going

>[ ] Ask if you can come in

>[ ] Invite her out

>>29863026
>>29863026
Footsteps? Is she te only one uup

>>2986302invite her

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>>29863153
Woops, fucked that one up.

I meant to throw in a bit about how what you heard was probably her hands.

To make up for it, one of my favourite pictures.

>>29863026
Invite her, it'll be better then wandering the city aimlessly

>writing

"... You wanna come with?" You ask, the irony of asking a girl without legs to go for a walk not quite lost on you.

"N-no thanks... I'd like to but I think Thorn would tear the city apart if she woke up and I was gone..."

"Oh, that's too bad. I'll see you when I get back I suppose." You can't say you aren't at least a little disappointed, but she's probably right about Thorn.

"Y-yeah... See you." As she closes the door it looks... was she blushing? Couldn't have been. With nothing else to do here, you head down the stairs and out of the building.

Now... Where to go... You realize now that you're out here that you didn't really have a route in mind.

<Could you run me a basic mapping path?
>Hoping to explore the city?
<Yeah, but I was also hoping I could map it out. Maybe save some of the locations of shops and other things.
>I can do that. If you make your way to the entrance of the city, I can route you around to make a map. So long as you give the shop names and street signs a good look.
<Sounds good, let's get started.

The trip back to the entrance doesn't take long, and before you know it you're on your way. You turn whenever you see a prompt, and make sure you get a good look at the names of shops and streets.

It's quite a pleasant walk. It seems Hovum gets nice and quiet at night. You see the occasional Qupre, but they leave you alone for the most part. Must be the sword.

[1/2]

The air here is cool, which makes it nice and easy to clear out your head. But you get the feeling that you've got eyes on you. And you don't think it's the Qupre...

<Has anyone been following me?
>I believe so.

That just about confirms it. Looking back, you see no one. Not surprising, but still worrisome.

Being cautious, you look back and check if the KV is loaded. It looks like the barrier you used against Thorn took the rest of your energy.

"Better safe than sorry..." You reach back and touch the contact point, loading the weapon with Aether as you seem to have it in abundance.

Just when you think you might be overthinking, a voice comes from in front of you.

"How's it goin' Unchosen?"

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 16

>>29863859

Rolled 6

>>29863859

Rolled 7

>>29863859
rolling.

>Writing

You drop into a crouch and reach for your weapon. Pulling the trigger and charging the sword's edge with Aether.

Just in time, as a lance made of light soars through the air where your head used to be.

You see another lance headed straight for your face. But your blade is already in motion, sweeping down and knocking it into the ground.

"Oh... I was so hoping I could end this whole charade right there. But I suppose I'll have to actually work at it!"

You know that voice, but you have no time to dwell on it. A cloaked figure bursts out of the shadows where the lances came from, brandishing a long, thin blade.

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 1

>>29864297

Rolled 8

>>2986429>>29864297 no words only kill

Rolled 18

>>29864403
Not with these rolls

Rolled 6

>>29864297
aww, shit.

>Writing

Rolled 6

>>29864297
please dont dies please dont die please dont die

Rolled 9

>>29864351
dizzy.... critfail....and
people show up bittersweet. fortunes

>>29864639
>>29864639 my grammar is fail

>>29864639
I'm sorry ;_;

>Critical malfunction detected in left leg: knee joint

"Wha-" You keel over as your left leg buckles underneath you.

Luckily it gets you out of the way of the next attack, but it doesn't leave you in a very good position.

"What's the matter unchosen? Feeling a little weak in the knees?" The cloaked figure laughs.

>Diagnosis, missing bolt in secondary rotor.

Missing bolt? No... I couldn't have... Oh fuck, I did. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck Shiiiiiiit

Okay, think. There must be something... Ah!

You straighten out your left leg on the ground as the hooded figure laughs.

<Lock left knee joint.

It'll handicap you, but you can at least fight this way.

You use your left leg as a vault and spring towards your hooded assailant, your blade leaving a faint purple arc as it sails towards his head. Only to hit the ground beside him as he twists away.

"Who the fuck are you?" You ask, buying yourself a moment to right yourself on your knee.

"The shield, unchosen. Give it to me. Now." He extends his hand.

>[ ] Not on your life!

>[ ] Hand it over.

Rolled 20

>>29864825
Fuck him up

Rolled 14

>>29864825
do they know what guns are here?
Lets introduce them.

>>29864825 not on your liife
....hand it over one energy piece at a timme

>>29864825
>[ ] Not on your life!

Rolled 3

>>29864825
>[ ] Not on your life!

>writing.

>I'm gonna go ahead and count
>>29864855
>>29864905
>>29865057
>As rolls for the next bit to save time.

>Target lock acquired.

You smirk. "Not on your LIFE!" You roar, bringing the KV down towards him.

He jumps back this time. But you're one step ahead. Partway through the swing you hit the sword release and stop your arm at level with the ground, allowing the blade to swing back into its inactive position.

Then you start shooting. The first shot rips into his hood, the second slams his shoulder when he tries to dodge, and the third catches his leg.

>Weapon empty.

That's fine, you hit where you wanted to. You still charge it with more Aether though.

You limp over to where he fell over. "Who the hell are you?"

"Shit!" He exclaims, rolling onto his back and... Hold on. You pick up the pace, if he's doing what you think he's doing...

He swings his sword into the air above him, cutting a rift into the void before being sucked into it.

You don't make it in time to stop him. "No way... Was that a Wayknight?"

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 8

>>29865315
Awww shit. The plot, she thickens.

Rolled 12

>>29865315
Jerkass who considers us unworthy??

>>29865315

Rolled 13

>>29865842
fucking caps

"I know that voice... And that sword..." You know them from somewhere...

Right, what was his name? It sounded like Joshua... right! Zeshua. The unfriendly one.

<Can we track him?
>We cannot. If he used another means we may have, but we cannot trace a Wayknight.

Damn, you're pretty sure he ran back to the crossroads too...

"Ah well, I'll just have to beat it out of him next time he shows his ugly green face." You say with a wicked grin.

If you can't track him, you may as well head back and fix your leg. For all you know he could've brought friends...

The walk-... Well, the limp back to the room Oz and crew lent you is long. Long, but thankfully uneventful.

The stairs up are kind of a pain, and as you pass by the door to the other room it creaks open slightly.

You see Rose peaking at you through the crack, before opening it fully. "Logan, you're hurt!" She exclaims.

>[ ] Tell her about your run in with Zeshua

>[ ] Tell her it's just a missing bolt

Rolled 1

>>29866156
Just a missing bolt.
this is our problem. They've probably got their own shit to deal with.

>>29866156
>>29866156
Tell her. Then go fix yourself

>>29866156
"Nah, im just missing a piece of my leg."

>Okay, vote's tied and I'm pretty tired.

>I'll be running again tomorrow, starting from here.

>Forgot this in the intro:
Previous threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Into%20the%20Aether%20Quest,
QM twitter: https://twitter.com/QM_Dizzy

>>29866675
>Or the vote isn't tied.

>I still need sleep though.

changing vote he is right

>>29866676
Bump in the mornin'