You walk out of the Bar completely drained. Even when Cy’s just screwing around, that guy is still ridiculously strong. Yawning, you stare up into the nebula as the Tram takes you away to the living area. It’s a bit odd, seeing all of your fellow rookies drop without you. Almost like they’re leaving you behind. A bit of you can’t help but worry for them. You never felt that before. Always too busy getting prepped for your own mission to think about anyone else’s. But now… Now you’re alone with your thoughts. Space is big, you could always feel that. But the is the first time you’ve realized how empty it is. How easy it is to be left alone. You shiver slightly and murmur “I hope they can find their way home.”

You exit the Tram feeling wistful and unhappy, two emotions on the opposite of the spectrum from the mirth and joy of Bob’s Bar. Climbing into bed, you stare up at the darkened ceiling of your room, wondering. Where are they right now? Are they alright? Has Elda shot Niels yet? Will they believe her if she claims it was an accident? Darkness obscures increasingly bizarre thoughts.

You look up. Everything is bright and orange once more. Your bed is floating in a sea of impact gel, bubbles squirm up to the surface through the thick liquid. You look around. Broken tiles swim through the viscous fluid like schools of fish. A stray cherry flits by your head, propelled forward by rapidly wiggling stem. And in the distance, some shapes. But what sort?

You stand up to get a better view and suddenly the shapes are not in the distance. They are right next to you, forming a circle of sorts.

“Drop pods.” you mouth, as orange bubbles escape and begin their long scent to the surface of the orange ocean. For whatever reason, you feel compelled to touch one. But which one?

>Options incoming

>>30134892
>Which one, Ivan?
>The one with gleaming chrome struts and a fresh white paint job
>The rusted one, with bolted on plates and duct tape
>The one with a smoothed and elongated profile, as though it was from a distant future
>The nondescript one. The only one where the deployment door isn’t facing towards you

>>30134914
>The one with a smoothed and elongated profile, as though it was from a distant future
The path to our survival lies in technology!

>>30134892
>>The rusted one, with bolted on plates and duct tape
Remembering our past...

>>30134914
>The one with a smoothed and elongated profile, as though it was from a distant future

>>30134914
>>The nondescript one. The only one where the deployment door isn’t facing towards you

Mystery door.

>>30134892
>The rusted one, with bolted on plates and duct tape

>The one with a smoothed and elongated profile, as though it was from a distant future

we Yautja now

>>The nondescript one. The only one where the deployment door isn’t facing towards you

Mystery door, every time

>>30134914
>The rusted one, with bolted on plates and duct tape

>>30134914
>White one

I like Chrome

>>30134914
>The one with a smoothed and elongated profile, as though it was from a distant future
We must look forward, towards the future!

>>30134914
>The one with a smoothed and elongated profile, as though it was from a distant future

>>30134937
>>30134968
Seconding FUTURE stufff

Alright, we chose the Future looking pod. Writing.

>>30134914
>>The one with a smoothed and elongated profile, as though it was from a distant future
It also has neon glow lines.

>>30134914
>The nondescript one. The only one where the deployment door isn’t facing towards you
The mystery door, it calls to me.

>>30134892
>nondescript one

File: 1392002743696.jpg-(15 KB, 640x298, FUTURE POD.jpg)

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You jump off of the bed, a drift towards the open door of the strange purple drop pod. The interior is a dark shade of purple, almost black. You can’t see the inside very well, but it looks like there is a chair. A chair that can’t possibly be meant for a human to sit in. You clamber into the pod anyway, hunching on top of the bizarre seat. The deployment door slides shut with a soft hiss. You are alone in the darkness. You reach out. Your hands touch nothing. You pat the area near your feet. Although you are still standing on something, your hands don’t perceive it, passing through as easily as they would air. You gasp. Nothing. No noise. No sight. No touch. Nothing.

Then light fills the pod, and you can see again. You are still inside the long alien pod. you can hear again. You can feel again. You look up. The top of the pod is gone. You can see the stars above you, the disk of the Milky Way. A great cloud of gas and stars in the distance. You look around. The transparency is spreading down along the walls of the pod. Eventually you can see an ocean. The great blue touching the horizon.

The bottom is gone now. A collection of lights spreads out beneath you, glimmering in the blackness of night. A circle, with radiating spikes reaching out into the blackness. You are falling freely now. But you are not afraid. You know this fall will not end in red and earth and crunching. You stare on in awe as the alien sun rises over the world, flooding it with light.

A strange city spreads out before you, uncanny architecture rising out from green plains. It looks much like the cities of any human world, but there is something… different. Although you cannot see it very well from this distance the way the roads are laid out is slightly off. Buildings arranged in hexagonal patterns, rather than blocks. Main roads branch fractally into smaller and smaller sub-paths, like jagged veins.

You are still falling.

>>30135666

Oh shit, we Roughnecks now

File: 1392003292860.jpg-(120 KB, 1207x661, SPEHSS CITY.jpg)

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The air rushes by you as the city grows larger. Yes, you were right. This is a city like no human city you’ve seen before. Buildings with alien architectures and geometries rise up out of the green fields. Yes, there are many similarities. The same laws of physics that constrain Human architects constrained whoever built this city. But the aesthetics and the shapes are all wrong. While almost all human buildings rise up into the sky with straight lines and sharp edges, these skyscrapers are more like convex cones, spines poking the atmosphere. You flit around one, staring in amazement.

Your fall is slowing until it comes to a stop, and you are drifting above the bizarre city. You can go anywhere. You are flying now. You are a Fly Guy, no longer a Fall Guy. Heh.

>Where does Ivan go?
>Down, to the streets
>To the tall tower standing above all else
>Back up to the beckoning stars [Will end Dream Sequence]

Rolled 5, 3, 5 = 13

>>30135666
>hexagonal patterns
That city sounds like a giant pain in the ass to drive through.

>>30135937
>>Down, to the streets
Wonder how the folks here will react to us?

>>30135937
>Tower standing above

To the top

>>30135937
>Down, to the streets
Let us walk with the common people.

>>30135937
>Down, to the streets

>>30135937
>Down, to the streets
We are a man of the people after all.

>>30135937
>Down, to the streets

>>30135937
>Down, to the streets

You descend. To the streets. Let those who built the city see the guest in their lands. As you lower yourself to the ground you see that the buildings aren’t perfect cones, instead hexagons. More hexagons. You stare as you drift above the ground, five meters away from the surface. Strange being go about their business. Quadrilaterally symmetrical, four arms, four legs. Their torsos are pear shaped in varying shades of green. You watch some of the strange aliens form a line in front of what you presume is a food vendor. The aliens wave something that puts you in mind of a credit chit in front of a scanner, and leave with a variety of strange comestibles. You drift behind one and watch with fascination as the top of the pear opens up into a four jawed maw, consuming the snack whole.

It’s strange. Such alien bodies and they still wear clothing. It’s an odd thought that creatures with such radically different bodies would still care about modesty. The one you are following is wearing some off white shirt, with a strange scarf wrapped around what you suppose would be the neck. A bit of you wonders what they would think of your own attire. Grinning impishly, you flit in front of one of the four eyes belonging to the alien you chose to follow. The strange creature walks through you as if you were nothing more than a bank of mist. You flit around it, doing various things to get your chosen alien’s attention. It walks stoically on.

“Rude motherfucking pear,” you mutter to yourself.

The pear flags down a four wheeled vehicle that could only be their car equivalent. You follow the strangely familiar device as it weaves it’s way through nauseatingly bending streets. Eventually it stops, and the Pear you’ve chosen to follow steps out. It walks, no, more like shuffles, up a set of wide stairs leading up to one of the spires. It’s office building?

You watch the other Pear-Aliens shuffle along, presumably heading to work or where ever. How strange. How familiar. Your eyes return to rest on your chosen Pear-Alien, the one with the off white shirt, just in time to see it stop. Then all of it’s compatriots stop. Their arms go slack, dropping various loads across the wide stairs.

Something is wrong.

Something is wrong. But what?

You flit around the Pear-Alien, shouting at it. Like it would do any good. Then the Pear-Alien jerks around, one of it’s eye pointing right at you. You look around. All of them. All of them looking at you.

The air is getting hot. Wet.

You need to leave. You must leave. The stars scream out for you. They want you back. Get out. Get out now.

>What will Ivan do?
>Leave now
>Stay for as long as he can

>>30136489
>Stay for as long as he can

>>30136489
>leave now
Time to wake up

>>30136489
>Stay for as long as he can
We're not exactly genius material, anyways.

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>>30136489
Stupid pears.

>Stay for as long as he can

>>30136489
>Stay for as long as he can
Fuck the stars, we're master of our own destiny!

>>30136489
>Stay for as long as he can

We mist see the ending.

>>30136489
>Leave

>>30136489
>Stay for ass long as we can

No. No not yet. You must stay. You must hang on.

You watch in horror as the Pear-Aliens close around you, all four arms reaching up towards you. You lift yourself up a bit higher, away from their grasping manipulators. They swarm, heedless of each other, their fat bodies bouncing into one another. Some fall over. The others clamber on top of them, waving their arms up towards you. The pile grows as more of the strange aliens use their brethren as a stepping stone towards you. A feeling of revulsion. Why is it so hot?

You need to intervene. But how? You lower yourself towards the strange Aliens. The heat is overwhelming. You scream. The cloying warmth is strangling you.

Then the Pear-Alien in the off white shirt touches your hand. The heat disappears. Only neutrality. The rest of the Aliens, their city, their world, everything, all vanish in a sea of grey. You are alone with the Pear-Alien in the off white shirt. Then the voice. A voice like a hundred hundred hundred thousand voices all speaking at once. A blast furnace of sound in a language you cannot understand. You scream, lost to the cacophony of heat and din. Then a singular voice amidst the torrent of noise. You seize onto it. It is cool. A respite from the sound.

The same language as the other voices. But this time you can understand it. A short phrase. Almost an entreaty.

“Too late.”

You jerk up once more, sweat pouring from your forehead. Reaching out with shaking hands, you check you e-glasses. 400 station time. Swallowing convulsively, you stand up, and stumble in the darkness into the shower. You run a cool spray without turning the lights on until your breathing normalizes.

God. What the fuck. What the fuck is going on.

>>30137007
Alright, as you may have guessed, that was the end of the Dream Sequence.

The four Drop Pods would have lead to four different sequences. You guys ended up choosing perhaps the weirdest, but most relevant to the overarching story line, pod out of them all.

Take from that what you will.

Is there anything you want to talk to Valkyrie about for the next Vignette?

>>30137105
Non-lethal combat options.

>>30137105
how to not be a indentured servant for the rest of our lives for a start.

>>30137007
>>30137105
Fuckin dream sequences man...

Alright, I think some people wanted to ask her about money advice and some shit like that.

>>30137105
Recommended combat gear and gene mods and advice on how to get out of our debt as fast as we can.

>>30137105
We have other ways of communication with her that doesn't involve destructo-sex?

I suppose MMA fighting...

>>30137163
This.

>>30137160
shooting people in the legs isn't good enough? Or just like, punching them till they stop moving but are probably still breathing?

>>30137160
That would help with non-augmented foes. Seconding.

>>30137105
Combat gear, gene mods, melee training.

>>30137105
Mainly her experience making it from a young merc to a senior partner. And maybe find out if there's an underground fight club somewhere on the station.

>>30137160
Seconding.

>>30137194
Shooting an unwilling extraction target is generally frowned on.

>>30137194
Applying medical attention to VIPs/ hostages is time consuming and wasteful.

Though it does sound a but un-Ivan.

>>30137240

>underground fight club

Actually, I'm pretty sure StrikeOut would be ultra-pissed. Mercs getting into potential lethal fistfights and benching themselves to recover?

Which is a shame because it would be a great way to get CQC experience.

>>30137160
That's not her thing though.

>>30137163
SECONDING

Alright, talk about non-lethal take downs and debt management. Writing.

Just a reminder, Darius is also available for questions like these. He may be more helpful and less focused on kicking the shit out of you.

>>30137342
I'd be game with asking Darius if Valk is too busy hunting for D.

He's a cool guy

>>30137266
knowing how things go around here, it could probably be seen as a breach of contract to willfully engage in unnecessary activities that could prevent you or other merc's from deploying. The kind of thing that the company can always threaten with to keep grunts in line but rarely gets used unless someone really fucks up.

I wonder what Darius thinks of our little scuffle with Dreads. Last time we saw him he hadn't seen the video yet.

>>30137342
Really, that's what we chose to ask the hyper aggressive combat goddess about? Well, this ought to be a waste of a scene.

>>30137426
Likely a mix between being impressed and thinking we're the stupidest fucking rookie that walked the earth, and laughing his ass off.

>>30137477
I'm with you anon. I was kinda hoping for more character development shit. Maybe try and actually speak to her. You know, she might know something about Marlena, now that I think about it.

>>30137522
Yep. If we wanted a reminder not to get too deeply in debt but continue spending enough to not die we could have asked any senior merc. As for non lethal combat options, we could have asked at the armory or found a specialist (if any survive long enough to truly become a specialist).

>>30137522
>>30137586
We can come to that THROUGH the course of interactions that are less focused on her. Like normal interaction develops, you know, between professionals.

>>30137477
She's a bit of a walking sex and fight machine so far, let's not have too much expectation of her ability to teach at all. She's the cavalry, not training division.

>>30137163

THIRDING

>>30137176
>We have other ways of communication with her that doesn't involve destructo-sex?

Yes, the post-apocalypse cuddling, where people are too sore to move and there is only words and honesty

>>30137772
"My ass hurts from when you threw me on the ground like a huge fuckin' jerk, Rook."

"Well, my skull hurts from when I hit it against yours and you were made of metal."

>>30137677
>r, let's not have too much expectation of her ability to teach at all. She's the cavalry, not training division.

Yes, but she's also ~the~ best ~heavy weapons~ merc and a ~senior partner~
That shit does not come cheap!

>>30137798
She's a senior merc, not a senior partner.

We also haven't exactly met everyone in the firm yet, and have no indication whether the firm has five senior mercs or a hundred.

Let's not get too excited.

>>30137772
I always thought that neither of them could find the strength to move their arms for post-coital spooning.

>>30137821
She is a senior partner with Darius and the Tin Man though.

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You spend the next two days puzzling over the dream you had. Unlike the first one with guys deflating like balloons this one remains fresh in your mind. In fact, were you capable of such feats of meta-cognition, you would have been startled by how little the recollection of your dream changed over the passing of days. Instead, you do your damndest to suppress the uncomfortable memory, stowing it away in a dark recess of your mind. No need to think about pear shaped whatevers and their heat talking when there is… nothing else really to do. Just to avoid thinking about the dream you begin to seriously contemplate the battery schematics.

Still, it niggles at the edge of your thoughts. Eating away at them. Disrupting your attempts to sleep. This makes for lonely and boring meals in the Mess Hall. Your friends and fellow rookies gone, and any potential new compatriots driven off by your dour mood. Two days after the dream, and you are sitting in the mess hall. Alone. Again.

Your eyes are focused down at your food, ears buzzing with exhaustion. As a result of this sensory fuzziness, you fail to notice that someone has sat down in front of you. Until she slammed her tray down inches away from your own. You look up in shock at the grinning face of the Valkyrie.

“Well now, took you long enough,” she says, chuckling. “I hope you’ve got better situational awareness on missions rookie.”

Your mouth sags open slightly. You don’t think Valkyrie’s ever said more words in a sequence to you before. Really weird, considering… things.

“Uh. Hi.”

Valkyrie gives you an amused smile, cocking one eyebrow. “And hello to you too. Are you normally this chipper, or did I knock some brains outta your skull?”

>What say Ivan?
>Give a response and a topic of conversation.

>>30137865
>>Give a response and a topic of conversation.

Ask why she isn't on a mission.

>>30137865
>“And hello to you too. Are you normally this chipper, or did I knock some brains outta your skull?”

"Yes you did, and the ones I have left are currently drowning in coffee, remembering how to swim"

>>30137865
>>Give a response and a topic of conversation.
(ignore her words)
"Hey, you ever run into anything just... fucked up on any of your drops? I don't mean like dead babies or some crap. But, like, aliens? Brain-eating Cthulhu-monters? Pointy-teethed coneheads?"

"Er, sorry, never mind. I wanted to talk to you about how to knock people out without killing them. Good at the second part. Not so good at the first."

>>30137865
>What say Ivan?
"Nah, just out of it today. Weird ass dreams. I blame repeated concussions."
"Speakin' of concussions, I think this is the first time we've talked that didn't involve slamming my head against a solid surface. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

>>30137865
"I'm switchin' gears is all. Hey, it's great to see you, and not just 'cause I was plannin' to ask you a heap of rookie questions. You look good."

Get it in gear, Ivan.

>>30137865
Well, slamming my head into your chin did me no favors in that department.

Speaking of which, where exactly did you learn that grapple?

>>30137865
"Maybe you did, but I think it's mainly been the forced inaction of waiting for the damn shoulder to heal. Too much time to think about all the debt hanging over my head and to obsess over this weirdass dream I had the other night." weak smile "How have you been?"

>>30137865
"Just surprised. Our meetings haven't really been the talkative sort."

>>30137865
"Uh, um. Yeah, that last thing we did might have knocked me a little outta my head. Probably where this weird-ass dream came from. It's been keeping me up, lately. Anyway. Didn't expect to see you like this. It's different. I think I like it."

Ask about her personal life.

>>30137946
>>30137958
>>30137972
Vetoing for suckbland.

>>30137952
Ew.

>>30137865
>>What say Ivan?
>>Give a response and a topic of conversation.

"bad dreams, just got coffee. Winning combination! how are you, val?"

>what is her actual name, anyway?

>>30137963
This, and work in referring to her as a knockout if you can manage it.

>>30138011
her name's valerie, it's in the known characters pastebin
>>30138011
>>30137984
guys can we talk to a woman without going on about our dreams and coffee

>>30137972
this, then
>>30137963
this, and then we can move on to questions.

>>30137963

Best response of the lot

AND I WROTE SOME OF THE OTHERS

>>30137943
>>30138020
I'm going with the responses that don't make Ivan look like he's drowning in his problems.

>>30138037
>guys can we talk to a woman without going on about our dreams and coffee

Yeah seriously.


>>30137997

This is pretty much correct

>>30138037
>her name's valerie, it's in the known characters pastebin

... Valerie 'valkyrie'.
I wasn't sure if that was actually it :V

I really want to add this >>30137943 in somewhere.

Starting off "Suckbland" as one anon put it before Ivan's mind gets back in the game. Writing.

>>30137963
>"I'm switchin' gears is all. Hey, it's great to see you, and not just 'cause I was plannin' to ask you a heap of rookie questions. You look good."

>>30138149

No no no no! skip the suckbland!

You don't have to use all the possibilities, FG! just the best ones

>>30138182
Agreed.

>>30137865
You know, I wouldn't be surprised at all if you had. Anyways, I'm just bored since all the other rookies are on drop and I'm stuck with this shitty bone to mend. On that note, I'm sort of surprised you're not on a drop yourself, nothing peak your interest?

>>30138182
>>30138149

Yeah, it's okay to use Rule of Wits and Rule of Cool when presented with dialogue write-ins. We can acknowledge that not everyone can write the best response, this is one area where majority vote can often be set aside and the best responses selected.

It's not critical, though. We don't have to be a suave motherfucker all the time, flaws are okay. Might just have to get an augmentation devoted entirely to not saying stupid shit later.

>>30138219
>peak
>not pique

Be still, my beating sperg. You don't HAVE to correct him. Not everyone needs to be as right as you.

>>30138241
I'm tired, sue me.

>>30138224
>>30138182

As one of you put it, Ivan is a flawed character. He won't always say the perfect thing, but this helps round him out in the long run. That said, the suckbland is only one part of the update, so don't get too worried.

>>30138224
>It's not critical, though. We don't have to be a suave motherfucker all the time, flaws are okay. Might just have to get an augmentation devoted entirely to not saying stupid shit later.

Iunno, i kinda like adorkable ivan

>>30138219
This is the best out of everything that was written.

>>30138274
Ok, given what you've already put out it's not like it's hard to have faith in you anyway.

>>30138276
It gets old a lot. Once in a while is fine but it's like, fuck, when's he gonna mature?

“Yeah, you did. And the few I’ve got left are trying to learn how to swim in an ocean of coffee.”

Valkyrie snorts. “I gotta say. After our last two encounters this one is a bit of a change of pace.”

You eye your tofu blearily, completely missing Valkyrie’s hand as it reaches out and pinches your cheek. Hard.

“Ah,” you grunt, suddenly much more cognizant of your surroundings. “Ouch.”

Valkyrie leans forwards and grins. “You awake now, rookie?”

“Yeah, just switching gears is all,” you shake your head, clearing it somewhat. “Alright. Yes. Hey, it’s great to see you Valkyrie, and not just cause I was plannin’ to ask you a heap of rookie questions.”

You allow a playful grin to imply the rest of what you were going to say. Valkyrie raises both of her eyebrows. “Wow. Zero to sixty recovery right there. You must have really been sleepy.”

“Yeah well, I’m on ice for another week. Fucking bone is still on the mend and all my fellow rookies are off making dosh on drops. I’m bored out of my skull. Any reason why you’re still here?”

“Eh,” shrugs Valkyrie neutrally. “Just nothing too interesting going on right now. I’ll tell ya rookie, finding a good mission at my skill level is a bitch and a half. And no one seems to have chosen anything where they’ll need me to bail their ass out. So I’m here. Being bored too.”

“Well then, perhaps we could alleviate some of that boredom with a bit of sparring.”

The predatory smile is back.

“Not like that. I need some actual hand to hand and melee practice. So far you’re the only person to provide me with any.”

Valkyrie blows air out. “Boooooring. Well not really,” she corrects herself, grinning wolfishly, “But you got my hopes up for a second rookie. Sure I can provide some CQC lessons or something. anything you’re interested in?”

>Anything Ivan is interested in?

>>30138512
I think our ground game is pretty good, grappling and stuff that is, but we don't take advantage of our legs and fist very much at all. We're all about bringing our opponent to the floor and pinning them.
We should work on that.

>>30138512
Nonlethal takedowns for the squishy enemies, anti-armor training for the ones in heavy gear.

Advice for next time we're forced to fight someone like Dreads, and would she like to see our trophy? We can show her our pokemons.

And anything she feels is important to stress.

>>30138512
Bloody hell, I forgot the subject line.

>>30138553
Did you miss all the leg sweeps we gave her in both of our fights?

>>30138621
I meant more like kicks and dodging and footwork.

>>30138564
That works. We can let her decide on the specific tactics.

Alright. Footwork and other such things. Advice on combating large enemies that can wreck your shit.

Second to last update before final timeskip to mission.

>>30138512
Non-lethal takedowns for non-augmented squishies, and some advice for not getting hit in the first place.

Also, what did she think of our fight with Dreads?

>>30138676
Don't forget DAT TROPHY. What good is being a crazy badass if we can't show off to a like-minded woman?

Just had a thought about skeletal upgrades.
Fully augmented mercs gettin' it on in bed must sound like two skeletons fucking on a tin roof. CLANG all the way to the end.

Thank you for inspiring this line of reasoning, Fall_Guy.

>>30138746
She's seen the vid and we'd need to de-messify our room if we ever wanted to show her that trophy.

Actually, we should consider selling the braids. Dreads had enough enemies that we could probably pay off a decent portion of our debt with the proceeds.

>>30138801
welp now i can just rename a file and post it

>>30138864
i thought cy was the one to live in a pigsty

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>>30138888
forgot pic

>>30138888
Our mess has been commented on, it just doesn't reach Cy's levels of walking hazards.

>>30138864
>selling the braids

God, no. We should keep them so we can figure out why Dreads seems to be immortal.

>>30138913
>>30138864
>selling off the only shreds of physical evidence besides a vid that he's probably dead by our hand

NOPE.jpg

>>30138913
He clearly pulled a Dread Pirate Robinson, but if I'm wrong I think our bioengineer friend might be able to help with that.

>>30138864
Not before we take a sample to Linda and see if she can determine what kind of crazy augs were running through his bloodstream and on his body. Hair might have useful evidence of this, who knows.

>>30138904
What the fuck is up with that lamp? Are those scales? Slime?

>>30139054
i'm not in charge of the lamp anon
if it wants to be a slimelamp i have no problem with that
leave the lamp alone

>>30139077
Man, I'm trying to ask the important questions here.

>>30139091
push off, lamp-gestapo

>>30139054
They're nanobots.

Anyone else think OP's failing his roll to remain awake?

>>30139159
That'd be so moe.

>>30139179
>moe
fag

“I’ve noticed I have a disturbing propensity to get hit by things. Maybe we can practice my footwork a bit?”

“Alright rookie,” Valkyrie grunts in response. “Let’s haul ass to the dojo. STAT.”

You follow Valkyrie out of the mess hall and towards the Gym. As you walk alongside her, you can’t help but ask, “So, what did you think of my fight with Dreads?”

Valkyrie leers at you in a way that makes you feel absurdly objectified. “Good stuff Rookie, real nice to- oh. You mean combat wise? Well first thing you need to understand is that Dreads was toying with you. Yeah, it got his ass blasted into space, but at almost any point during that fight he could have cooked your ass with one of his plasma casters. Or done a number of other things. Dreads got stupid, but don’t think that’ll happen all the time.”

“Aw, that’s harsh Valkyrie. And here I thought you’d want to see this,” You pull out a ropy cord of hair. Valkyrie stares at it for a few seconds before a disbelieving chuckle escapes her mouth. The singular chuckle transforms into a tide of mirth as she howls with laughter. “Oh… oh… oh my God, that is too perfect! You need to clip that onto your armor somewhere rookie!”

The two of you make your way to the dojo amidst bouts of laughter.

Training with Valkyrie was hard. Very hard. Every punch you failed to dodge struck like a ton of bricks. Every kick you allowed to strike home like a… really hard kick. Not that many to to describe getting beat. Throughout the entire session Valkyrie shared little nuggets of CQC wisdom with you. “When dealing with BARTs and other mechanized walkers, stay behind them. Their turning speed in absurdly slow, an they usually lack to articulation to fend off attackers from the rear.”

Other gems of wisdom included “Hit the wires,” and “Don’t let them punch you.”

After several hours you have to call it quits. Valkyrie shakes you hand firmly. “Good spar rookie. Maybe you’re good for more than a quick lay.”

As the Valkyrie walks away, your e-glasses beep. Contact info. For one Valerie Frazier.

Nice.

Alright everyone. A quick tech check before I wrap things up.

My apologies about the delay and what will probably be a lackluster final update for this thread, but I'm burning out quick.

Roll a 3d10 for tech check!

Rolled 4, 9, 8 = 21

>>30139300

Rolled 6, 1, 4 = 11

>>30139300
dojo, n.
The Japanese equivalent of a gay bar.

Rolled 6, 9, 10 = 25

>>30139300

File: 1392013439169.png-(100 KB, 241x207, 1359513447798.png)

100 KB PNG

>>30139277

Rolled 2, 7, 3 = 12

>>30139300
No need to apologize OP, I've thoroughly enjoyed the thread and if you have to crash I'm not going to begrudge anything in the wrap post.

Rolled 2, 4, 1 = 7

>>30139300
rollan for tech

Rolled 10, 6, 8 = 24

>>30139277
Here's hoping for a decent result.

>>30138037
Where is this known character pastebin by the way?

Unfortunately, you don’t get a chance to capitalize on Valkyrie’s contact info. She’s gone a day later. Some sort of high urgency drop. Now really truly alone, you have no choice but to bury yourself in that battery project. And bury yourself you do, spending the rest of your time on ice puzzling over the schematics. After a few days of study, you relocate to G-Level, where you attempt to manufacture a working prototype of the battery detailed in the schematics, only leaving to visit Dr. Barnes and get your clean bill of health.

After another few days of effort that would have made for a very boring and disappointing montage, you finally have something very close to the prototype detailed in the schematics. Yes, the charge capacity is only about ninety percent of the advertised amount, but the damn thing is as thin as the schematics indicated it would be, and just as malleable. Pleased with your success in the field of experimental engineering, you store the battery in a dresser in your quarters. Perhaps not the safest place to keep it, but you’re really kinda burnt out after days of mental strain.

You spend the next day in a fog, arbitrarily choosing a mission from Svenja without even bothering to check the mercs you’ll be dropping with. Or really, what the mission entails. You just felt a deep seated connection with the name. “Bitter Prophet”. Somewhat satisfied to be back on the money making train, you go to bed at 2000 station time, and spend the next twelve hours asleep. No dreams about Pear shaped Aliens this time, thank fuck. Just delicious credits and debt reduction.

>>30139533
In the archives. I'll find it and get on IRC to bother OP to get them together and paste a link at the beginning of the next thread.

Probably not today though, because OP is about to burn out like an old bulb.

>>30139556
Well done, Fly_Guy
Get some rest

Alright, and with that we are FINALLY ready to start on Operation Bitter Prophet or Oracle or whatever I settled on come Tuesday.

Good running for you guys, as per usual.

I'll linger to field any questions you might have, especially ones about that dream sequence. I understand it was really odd, and I'd like to answer any questions you might have about it, provided I don't need to spoil anything to do so.

>>30139612
Thanks for running Fall Guy, you're the best.

Was fun being here. Hope you get some well deserved rest.

also
>Dream
I don't think I can really ask anything that won't spoil it, haha.
I'm really bad with foreshadowy stuff like that.

>>30139612
Who is your favorite character so far? Or rather, who have you enjoyed writing the most? And what's your favorite video game?

>>30139612
Why are pear-guys such douchebags?

>>30139561
>>30139533
http://pastebin.com/E747zHj7
Found it.

>>30139533
>>30139561

100% Unnecessary

STEP 1: Go to paste bin link in OP post.
STEP 2: Follow Link to pastebin.
STEP 3: Click on authors name (BLINDSLUG) to see all the authors pastebin files
STEP 4: Click on "Deniable Assets Character Sheet"

You shouldn't bother others when you can do things yourselves.

>>30139612
Can you include the character cheatsheet pastebin in the OP next time? It'd help people keep their shit straight, I think.

>>30139671
It's more valuable to both the QM and the players to have the slower people be dragged along until they're running with the rest of the herd than to avoid half a second of work.

>>30139647
Pear is shit tier fruit. That's why.

I jest, Pears are delicious.

>>30139645
Favorite Character... Hm. Well I really enjoy writing Ivan with you guys. He's probably my favorite. But in terms of NPCs I have total control over... probably leaning towards Markos once I get into the swing of things with him.

>>30139676
I think I shall.

>>30139636
Thank you kindly, anon. Yes the dream sequence is actually part of the main plot, the first real steps we've taken on it so far. I will admit it was a very strange sequence. That was intentional to a certain extent. I hope that by the end of DAQ, and hopefully earlier, it will make much more sense to you.

>>30139671
Huh, didn't know Fallguy also came up with the blindslug setting. That was some interesting writefagging.

>>30139747
It probably will mate. I am hoping aliens for that mission wechose. And I also hope Elda is on it, if she can be. Hanging out with her is highly amusing.

Also, I think it was pretty interesting to get to see Valkyrie's character out side of fuck demon.

>>30139658
>Bob: Bob.

>Bob

Alrighty then.

>>30139747
Was Dreads from mars? The overlap between hippie and rasta is more than zero and he was an independent, which strikes me as kinda weird.

>inb4 martial underground crime syndicate, 100% led by Jamaicans

>>30139671
Huh, weird that Ivan's Character sheet isn't listed under Blindslug's files.

>>30139796
The next mission... I'm looking forward to it. A chance to try my hand at another genre I don't often do.

>>30139811
Dreads was from... I don't actually know. I will tell you that Limited Liability Solutions, which is a front organization for organized crime groups from Earth, does include the Jamaican Posses in their ranks.

Where Dreads was from... I don't know. It's an interesting question, considering his back story. I usually try to flesh out NPCs back stories as they develop in the plot, in order to keep them from being trapped by a decision I made before I really knew their persona. Dreads was still a WIP in many respects.

>>30139902
>another genre I don't often do.
Survival horror?

>>30139902
>New genre
Shit.
We chose horror sci fi didn't we?
It's going full Aliens up in this bitch! EVERYONE PREPARE YOUR ANUS

>>30139883
Several pastebins are private and can only be accessed via link. I mostly do this as a way of keeping a rough census on my reader numbers. The Performance reports mostly.

>>30139909
>>30139914
Good reading there anons. Although nothing like Aliens... I'd give a specific, but spoilers and all that.

>>30139902
>>30139932

Do you want to give us any meta advice? I know there've been arguments about everything from melee weapons and shotguns to the money situation, trusting people, etc. If you want to speak to any of that or settle anything, our bodies are (probably) ready.

>>30139932
Is it Dead Space
I really hope it's not Dead Space

>>30139797
Bob needs no explanation from the likes of man. Bob is Bob, and defining him in any other way is tantamount to willingly enter R'lyeh in the hopes of seeing Dread Cthulhu.

>>30139947
>Not
Nigga, if it was Dead Space that'd be AWESOME

I mean, terrible, we'd either die, or kick ass, but you know.

Oh...that's why you said not.

Damn it

>>30139947
What actually inspired the next mission for me was a scene, like maybe a page long or so, in a Peter Hamilton novel, part of the Night's Dawn Trilogy. Really freaked me out something fierce.

>Spoiler
Idle curiosity, any reason why not?

>>30139942
Ask me a question and I shall answer. Little too tired for anything other than direct questions.

>>30139997
No I just didnt really like Dead Space.

>>30140017
Aw

>>30140006
Okay. Would it be feasible to use Ivan's connections to open a mechanic's shop or get a job for downtime that earned him more than 500 credits a day? Can he do it with StrikeOut?

Would it be smart to use his fame on the Brick to get a lawyer or a stockbroker or something? Does the company provide legal representation?

If we get legal representation, can we get even a little bit of the bounties on Dreads?

>>30140006
How hard is it to get a skill from tier 0 to tier 1?
Would we be proficient with a shotgun if we used it for CQC?
Can we go bounty hunting?

>>30140006
Where do you envision the average cost of a cybernetic? Is there a range of costs you see them falling into, like 10K to 50K or something?

>>30140006

Can we get a 3d printer for bullets and guns and shit if we loot blueprints?

>>30140055
1: Yes. In fact, I'm going to try and encourage some exploration of additional income sources after this next mission

2. Probably not. He's just not well known enough yet.

3. Bounty money on Dreads will be incoming soon. Legal support might be able to net you some of the really big bounties, but that's not happening any time soon. This is for meta-reasons relating to balance.

>>30140069
1. Not terribly difficult. Ivan is about a third of the way to Tier one hacker, and that was just after that one bit of training you did with Niels.

2. As a CQC specialist you are automatically considered trained to tier one with all melee weapons. Shooting a shotgun however, you are nearly at tier one. You need to train some more.

3. At a later date, yes. This will be part of the plainclothes and single person mission series

>>30140082
Gonna have to get back to you on that anon I have enough trouble figuring out prices right now. Let's just say cybernetic implants will scale with however many credits you have when you unlock them.

>>30140092
yes,

>>30140132
Does the future have realistic tactile 3D video games? Have people made waifu simulators for them? Does Niel languish in his room designing a Tsukino waifu?

>>30140132
Thanks, Fall Guy

>>30140157
Yes, yes and I really hope not

>>30140162
No problem. Thanks for playing, anon.

>>30140132
Those answers are gonna be helpful, thanks.

>>30140170
Will we have some time to get some chaff grenades before next mission? This is important to our survivability.

>>30140193
Chaff Grenades are a yes, spoilers: won't need them for the next mission.

Later missions, they will matter a lot more.

>>30140232
flashbangs, smoke, and other grenades, then. we always need them, because we are loud and they help us sneak.

>>30140241
all those are a yes as well. I'm planning a quick jaunt over to the armory prior to that start of the next mission where you can peruse some explosive toys

>>30140255
Also Fall Guy

I get to work on the next FTB now, with even more info on Valk. Hopefully, it will be better.

>>30140255
cool, thanks

>>30140275
hahaha all power to you anon.

>>30140277
No problem. Good to clarify these things.

>>30140275
i wish you wouldn't, it just baits more of lewd-hungry faggots into one of the few quests on the board not utterly consumed by waifushit

maybe if you didn't share it, that would be enough

>>30140275
Ignore >>30140364. Share it with us.

>>30140275
Ignore >>30140400
Let them write their own fapfics.

>>30140364
I'm not doing it to attract lewd wanting anons. I do it to appease lewd wanting anons already here. Such as myself.

Take the pressure off Fall Guy, plus I enjoy writing a little something for quests I like.

>>30140478
Do what you want, but I have no idea how it takes the pressure off a QM when you're introducing the thought into the conversation and then people are more likely to mention it.

>>30140498
People are gonna mention it anyway, I feel. I don't think my little write faggotry is gonna change the direction of the quest, or anything.

>>30140523
People only mention it when it's prevalent. You wanna kick another rock down the slope, it might not start the avalanche but it's one more bit of weight.

Do whatever you want, lewdfag. I just wish we could go one quest without writing jerkoff material and handing it out like this is /d/. Maybe I should build a time machine and go back to 2010.

>>30140651
Not that anon, but I really don't understand people like you. Not wanting to read it is fine, but to regard it with such disdain is kinda weird. Like you're afraid of it.
Lewd ain't the end of the world anon.

Anyway, I gotta head off to bed. Cheers folks.

>>30140686
There's a difference between disdain and being tired of it coming to the forefront, anon.

>>30140651
Any backlash against waifushit's been a long time coming, don't tell me you didn't see it happening. Though we shouldn't turn this into qtg, guys.

>>30140293
Is randomly turning on GRIT MODE going to be a thing? I find it hilarious but more than a little worrying with regards to Ivan's psyche.

>>30140763
Matter of high rolls, apparently. But is it really a surprise that a merc with PTSD fodder coming out his ears is a little unstable?

I wonder if StrikeOut employs a company psychologist. [strikeout]Probably Valkyrie.[/strikeout]

>>30140763
If it does happen, it'll be played for laughs alone. No lasting damage. I view two types of GRIT MODE.

1) Serious Grit Mode that can lead to creepy dream sequences, and potentially PTSD ie, the one during our fight with Dreads

2) Humorous Grit Mode which will work as some sort of screwy joke thing, with no really serious fallout. I don't want a random number generator totally cocking things up for you guys.

>>30140805
So Ivan isn't paying for the rainbow spewing shower he broke?

>>30140861
let's wave that bill away with the magic of QM fiat

>>30140869
that just means that the shower will be back, stronger than ever.

>>30140869
I prefer to think of it as a respawning shower.

>>30140909
You cannot stop it.

>>30140917
Go to sleep before we make you write us a homolewd of Val and Elda in the shower.

>>30140939
It'll turn into a southern morality tale about using the Lord's name in vain.

But yes. I sleep now. Good night.

>>30140962
Like a reverse bel-air written by a baptist minister.