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Your pod drifts through nothingness. A bubble of space out from within the nebula in which your pod drifts from a long dissipated super nova. The walls of gas surround your distant, drifting pod on all sides, whispering with the reflected radiation and the subtle crackling of the nebula itself. The bubble, the system, although there is no longer any star, is silent and uninteresting. Your pod watches as the rare traffic moves to and from one of the small backwater colonies carved into the chunks of drifting stone and poorly held together derelict hulls drifting through space. It is a system of rejects, outlaws, and pirates. The only place of any interest, however fleeting, is the singular dwarf planet. A tiny world, slowly drifting through the absent void so appropriately named by the locals as Nowhere, devoid of starlight, with only the cold hum of sparse and secretive hideouts hardly large enough to be called settlements only slightly glow against the freezing backdrop of absolute zero.

Something grabs your pod's attention. A sudden, growing noise slowly, gradually building up from nothing to a distinct mental cry. Your pod moves closser, its cloaked form drifting over the dark world, and you can make out the distinct but meaningless noise of some psionic disturbance, like a grating of metal against metal making you shudder and recoil from the unnatural sensation. Before long, your pod begins to detect gravitational disturbances as well, focused, and highly localized but tremendous in strength.

Welcome back to Hive Queen Quest!

>Archives http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Hive%20Queen%20Quest
>Twitter https://twitter.com/HiveQueenQuest
>Various pasta http://pastebin.com/u/QuestDrone
>FAQ ask.fm/QuestDrone
>Discussion page http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest_talk:Hive_Queen_Quest
>>
>>48213906
What is the location of this system?
>>
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>>48213906
>Current resource reserves
Nutrients: 23,617,705N
Metals: 23,807,679M
Credits: ₡2,226
Credits in Lyle’s account: ₡1,175,000

Active trade routes
Leeland – Lanway: HMS Orphan, Captain John Spreckels

>Construction underway
[Citadel Hive ship] – 90%
[Fast Assault Fleet] x5

>Formed fleets and orders
Small Heavy Defense Fleet [Patrolling Leeland space]
10 Heavy Battle Fleet [Awaiting orders]
5 Missile Ambush Fleet [Awaiting orders]
25 Light Fleets [Awaiting orders]
20 Light Fleets [Under construction]

Clone upkeep/special projects and expenses
25 Human captives of the USV Hope – 750
[Gemini]
3 Taidaren Hybrids (105)
4 Human flash clone upkeep – 120
18 Human hybrid clone upkeep – 540
Specializations:
>Tech
>Engineer
>Brawler
[Hive space]
100 Human Hybrids – 3,000
Lyle Rogers – 57
Jackob Eisner – 56
Dillon Reager – 30
Clone/project upkeep – 3,908N

>Income
Metals: 2,950,500
Nutrients: 7,636,000
Net:

Total upkeep
Nutrient costs: 6,294,510

(Nutrient stat + structures) * 1k * dev score + modifiers = Nutrient income total
(Metal stat + structures) * dev score + modifiers = Metal income total
>>
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>>48213937
Hive Territory
[G-426]
*Leeland (capital)
N 60+40
M 45
Development 50

Income:
4.886MN
162.5KM

Defensive structures
>Surface to Orbit Missile System: Uses long range missiles to attack enemy ships in the system (1KN, Additional costs per launch)
>Anti-orbital batteries: Directly attacks enemy ships in orbit (8KN)
Military structures
>Hangar facilities: Deploys atmospheric and orbital drones to intercept attackers, uses aerodynamic and fighter drone designs (4KN)
>Psionic Shroud: Conceals hive activity from psionic senses (1KN)
Industrial structures
>Docking Pylon: (2000) (100KN)
[Empty docks: 8000/8000]
Economic Structures
>Smart Mines active: Calculates development stat twice for metal income
>Algae Farm: +25N
>Film harvester dock: +15N
Asteroid mining base: 50KM per day added to nearest planet.

[M-662]
Raligha
N 90+20
M 10
Development 25

Income:
2.75MN
0M

Defensive structures
>Surface to Orbit Missile System (1KN)
>Anti-orbital batteries: 35/35 (8KNN)
Economic structures
>Bloodroot collectors: Pipes running from Bloodroot trees extract nutrient rich sap +20N
>Greystalk farms: [under construction]
>Greenwall pit: Genetically engineered plant efficiently recycles waste material, Extra N income x2
>Temple alter: A place for the Ralighan locals to worship and bring offerings to your hive, built in the likeness of your local fake queen, +500N per day

[M-323]
>Orbital docking pylon: Space for docking and construction of 4 sub capitals or 1 capital ship, (50N)
[Empty docks: 0/4]
>Mining corvette salvage operations +2,688,000M per day (+8000M per corvette)

[Farcast]
Derelict Sensor array

Glassed Hive world
N 0
M 100
D 10

Income:
0N
100KM

>Smart mine mantle excavation: Calculates development stat 3 times for metal income

Deep space waystation
>100 docking pylons (10KN)
[Empty docks 400/400]
>>
>>48213927
It's Nowhere
In Valen space, no star. Looks like a rogue planet with some cosmic debris
>>
>>48213927
>appropriately named by the locals as Nowhere
It's literally been on the starmap since before the hiatus anon. Geez notice the capital letter.>>48213937


Odd. Valen space. What did they get ahold of that's psionic. Crystals don't cry, they whisper.
>>
>>48213966
That implies it's either Skyl or Hive.
>>
>>48213906
Does this mean we'll see any of the other systems we scouted
>>
>>Construction underway
>[Citadel Hive ship] – 90%
GET HYPE
>>
So guys, I was thinking about agent Devon and how we can best use him assuming he is eventually released from Valen custody.

At this point, he has been the nominal leader of two tremendous fiasco’s: the destruction of the psionics lab on Gemini, and diplomatic fuckup at Tannhauser. He is in very real danger of losing his, (and by extension our) connection to Killinger and the Union council. To keep from being shit-canned as an incompetent he has to deliver results. That is why I propose we allow Devon to “discover” the hive. The Union is in an all out war with the Commonwealth and are at risk of losing their Valen allies; they will not attack us. Furthermore, Devon has ample evidence the Leeland hive is not what it appears. All he needs to do (with our help) is connect the dots:

Old evidence:
When our first speaker was injured on Leeland, he did not explode. All bugs “captured” at the lab did. Why were these bugs rigged to explode?

When our workers escaped containment in the lab, the power failed almost instantly. This suggests the attack was carried out by a unified, organized, intelligence.

Lyle was late and not communicating even before the Union deployed a Smith. His agent said Lyle is never late.

After dropping off the bugs, Lyle was immediately pinned by Feds as looking for Lee, a person their intelligence had determined was of little importance.

The attack on Devon’s Gemini research facility stole not just research, but Ryan Lee as well. It’s possible Lee was the primary target. If the attack was funded by the Commonwealth, why would they have such interest in Lee?

Besides Lee, the other two individuals most connected to the hive (Commander Grey and Dr. Steiner) are dead. Of the two, Steiner was outright killed by the hive. Grey, who reported finding technological debris on Leeland that disappeared on further searches, was killed in a suspicious nuclear explosion aboard a stealth ship with no nuclear weapons.

cont
>>
>>48213983
Don't get too passive aggressive now, anon
>>
>>48214007
New evidence:
Before the jump to Tannhauser, unknown alien ships were seen firing in the vicinity of Devon’s ship.

The alien ships appeared organic in design. The hive has already proved to be able to translate a language rapidly, engineer a translator, and send encrypted radio data through intense interference with biological processes. Is it impossible they built a ship?
Upon arrival at Tannhauser, Lyle immediately fired on the Union spy ship. How did he know of the ship? Maybe he had a description of it from the alien contact the ship had before warp?

Lyle and Co had state of the art, never before seen, military equipment. They must have a major government as their backer. However, it seems improbable that any Valen or Commenwealth agent with the authority to dispense next-gen tech would entrust it with a wild card like Lyle.

And finally:
On Gemini and Tannhauser Lyle was loud, aggressive, and flamboyant. On Tannhauser he fought a Smith and drop-trooper for at least six hours and destroyed several ruins in the process. On Leeland a Smith and drop-trooper disappeared without a trace or any communication. There was no six hour battle visible from orbit. This suggests the Smith and trooper were immediately overpowered and killed discreetly, something Lyle is not keen on and may not be capable of. The hive admitted to Lee outright they killed the Smith. If they were telling the truth they are much more capable, and dangerous, than anticipated.

The hive will be revealing itself to the Union soon with a high-degree of certainty. When it does, all these connections between events will fall into place. If Devon makes this connection now, before anyone else, he may not only remain in the inner circle of government, he becomes an extremely strong candidate for DIRECTOR of counter-intelligence against hive operations. I don’t think we can let the prospect of an espionage coup like this just slip by.
>>
Arnt we supposed to be building space elevators?
>>
>>48214004
We need to make some additions to the citadel before we actually finish it. Some solar nutrient collectors would help it serve as the heart of a massive fleet, and artificial gravity plating in case we ever bring any guests aboard for negotiations.
>>
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>>48213949
Finished Research

>Rip Drive
A powerful, and accurate drive system, it does not move the equipped ship, but allows the ship to rip open a hole in spacetime, creating something akin to an artificial wormhole that bridges the ship's current location with a location of its choosing within its range. This allows not only the ship to move through the rupture, but also allows it to open ruptures for other craft, allowing for the deployment of sub-light craft over vast interstellar distances.

[New Ship Module Available]
Micro-rip drive – With some modifications to make the drive more compact in order to fit aboard an otherwise unmodified ship, the micro-rip drive is capable of being installed in the spinal mount of a ship. While still quite large of a device, the micro-rip drive is compact enough to only require a single spinal mounting, and can project a tear in spacetime capable of transporting any ship smaller than itself although the reduction in size prevents it from being used to transport itself or ships of equal size. Range has also suffered slightly due to the reduction in size compared to a ship using it as its main drive, allowing a ship to target its spacetime tear to any location within five light years, roughly half that of a full sized drive. The rip drive is capable of reliably targeting a location within a light day, although it can project a tear within the same system as its target with far greater accuracy, bringing it down to a mere light minute or less. (500N 1000M per 50 meters of ship hull length)

Regarding the map data, my computer decided to shove windows 10 in my face on night of the 4th, which caused everything to break since my drivers are, for the most part, just old enough to not work with it. I rolled it back to 7, but got a blue screen in the process. This ended up costing a day's worth of work, and I had to spend even longer fixing it after it deleted by driver for my router and my keyboard.
>>
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>>48214049
Current Research

>Hive-dusting
Fast
Alternative methods of hive creep spore dispersal is investigated, using a mixture of the semi-automated hive expansion methods already in use and altering the genetic composition to be more autonomous in nature, allowing spores to be deployed from non-stationary sources such as aerial dispersal from drones or spacecraft, as well as air-burst spore bombs launched from orbit, allowing for hive creep to be deployed in a more aggressive manner, effectively weaponizing the self-replicating infrastructure. The process is slower and more localized than the work of a Capillary Tower, however with no need for a tower to be present, the process can be undertaken more readily in the presence of hostile forces.

>Psionic Spores
Slow
While normally the hive spores used to spread infrastructure are little more than genetically engineered nanomachines, replicating and performing their function alone until their built structure is complex enough to receive mental signals, your mixture of psionic research and advancements in spore related genetic programming has made the idea of a psionically sensitive spore seem not nearly as far fetched as it once did. With a mixture of distributed networking and complex cellular reconstruction methods, it could be possible to create a spore strain that would respond to mental signals.
>>
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>>48214004
>>
>>48214049
>Finished Research
>>Rip Drive
AT LAST!
>>
>>48214049
Looks good for bringing captured ships and material back to our space. Maybe we should replace one of the spinal mounts on the pirate cruiser design with one.
>>
>>48214049
>Replaces a spinal mount of a ship
Well fuck, guess we can't put it on the citadel without taking out the spinal hangar. Actually, that's okay, there is more than enough room for docking bays elsewhere.
>>
>>48214049
Rip drives would be great for our joint invasion with the commonwealth, might need to put it on a hive ship or battleship.
>>
>>48214007
>>48214023
I like it.
>>
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>>48214067
>Complex organ splicing
Medium
While it is easy to pull a string of genetic data from most carbon based life and infuse it into the hive, making the inefficient genetic structure of other life accept the more efficient and deliberately programmed hive genetic data is far more challenging. In an ironic way, much of the solution seems to involve the utilization of controlled flaws, rendering the mutations deliberately inefficient in order to be more compatible with the host life so as to avoid dominating the host's genetic structure in the same way as the Hive hybrids and chimeras. Such subtle alterations could offer better, more difficult methods of infiltrating or manipulating non-hive life.

>Psionic sensors
Slow
This is a strange project indeed, and a concept that should not work at first assumption. It utilizes a basic concept of quantum mechanics, that being that the future of a particle effects it present state, and applies it to a mass scale. The hypothesis is a sensor that does not sense a target, but predicts it. The project is still in its infancy, however, and there is hardly any work finished beyond some basic mathematics and theories. As your thinkers attempt to put these theories into practice, however, the first prototypes seems to indicate that said prototypes never existed, causing a bout of confusion among the hive with how to proceed. The project has since gotten back on track, and shows great promise.

>Advanced Psionic Imprinting
Slow
With the application of psionic imprinting you are able to influence and alter the state of matter using only focused and precise mental signals. Your thinkers believe this can be taken further, using more accurate signals and more precise manipulation methods to imprint more complex thoughts and ideas more quickly and easily, and at a greater range.
>>
>>48214049
Okay we have a RANGE for the Rip Drive, and a precision level.

But what's its cooldown time, and what does it use for fuel? How fast can it travel in hops, and how many hops can it make?
>>
>>48214023
Great idea but i don't feel comfortable revealing the hive.
>>
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>>48214155
>Tachyonic insulators
Medium
You did not find any thinker alive that was working on this strange project, with all of them nearby fossilized long ago. You did, however, find a small sample of prototype material which seems to absorb tachyonic particles and then disperse them in random directions, scrambling psionic signals and making them appear as universal background noise. The efficiency with which this material does this has proven to make researching it rather difficult, as your drones nearly lost the sample for several days until an enterprising Quantum Thinker had a worker team scour the hive for the elusive substance. The testing has resumed, and is running ahead of schedule after the short delay.

>Psionic Cloaking
Medium
A complex practice naturally accomplished by the Phantoms under the care of the Barren Queen, you have been instructed in the basics, and now all that is left is practice and application. In theory it is simple, using carefully woven mental signals to broadcast a sense of non-existence. While this process is most effective against being sensitive to tachyonic radiation, it can be used against virtually any organic being. A psionic race may find entire patches of planet voided from their minds like a mass-induced psychosis, while less attuned or mentally blind species find details of the cloaked unit impossible to remember or describe, or may simply not notice the unit unless it is alone and obvious in appearance. Simply turning around or standing among a small crowd is enough to become virtually invisible. Unfortunately, this invisibility comes at a cost, as it is omnidirectional, and any unit enveloped in such a shroud would be unable to mentally communicate with others, effectively cutting itself off from any hive network. This ability requires at least a moderate relay or implant to accomplish, although no drone would do so willingly and cut itself off from the Queen without a direct command to do so.
>>
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>>48214184
>Psionic Telekinesis
Very Slow
With the development of psionic imprinting it is now clear to the hive that tachyons can effect real matter in a very real way. While normally so minuscule in nature the forces of tachyonic radiation offers no force whatsoever, a focused, maintained wave of psionics could, in theory, impart a real and measurable physical force. The success of Psionic Imprinting seems to offer prove of the concept in theory, and the only limiting factor now is how efficiently the imparted force from tachyonic particles scales up from the molecular level.

>Photonic armor
Medium
While it is not nearly as robust as what your thinkers promise from the miniaturization of shield technology, these small plates of massive photons are solid enough to deflect weapons fire and absorb energy for a brief period of time. Less a portable defensive shield and more of a temporary deployable cover, this technology, in theory, would offer drones or agents a way to quickly protect themselves during a momentary lack of cover before the photons dissipate.

>Personal shielding
Slow
By further shrinking the emitters, your thinkers believe they may be able to eventually make them small enough to be equipped to the carapace of a drone, or to the surface of an armored suit. At this time it is mostly speculation and an eagerness to please mother beyond all reason, and you cannot be sure what the limitations may be, but the thinkers are sure they can do it.
>>
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>>48214209
>Shield dome
Slow
The opposite way of thinking as personal shielding, by scaling the shield emitters up further to a size that would be impossible to hold and power on a ship, your thinkers suspect they should be able to construct a defensive perimeter around a hive center protected by a powerful defensive shield. The thinkers that have proposed the idea seem to be certain in the failure of the other project, as they are of this one, and you have had to separate the quantum thinkers as they attempted to disprove each others’ theories more than develop their own.

>Advanced Psionic Reading
Slow
With your new abilities growing, you continue to hone and develop more advanced methods of using your psionic network. Your thinkers believe that with more practice they should be able to delve deeper into the minds of non-hive life, digging past surface thoughts and emotions and into more detailed pieces of information without resorting to invasive neural interfaces.

>Atmospheric static generator
Medium (is done, but working on how it adjusts the Tower's cost in the new system)
By utilizing the natural friction of a sufficiently dense atmosphere against the surface of a capillary tower, the tower can be made to generate energy to feed itself and reduce its upkeep cost.

>Deep Core Mining
Slow
Taking planetary mining to the logical extreme, your thinkers believe that your hive infrastructure, if spread across the surface of a world and given enough time, would be able to consume the ferrous metal core of a planet itself.
>>
>>48214007
>>48214023
I like where you're going with this, but the links between the bug people of G-426 and the shadowy power directing Lyle to strike at Union black ops is still very circumstantial. I'd be okay with Devon trying to identify Lyle's backers and putting some of the pieces together, but not him revealing that it is actually the Hive.
>>
>>48214234
>Gravity thrusters
Slow
Similar in function to your Skid drive, the Gravity thrusters essentially surf along pre-existing gravity fields, increasing their performance when in close proximity to major sources of gravitational pull, be it a large celestial body, a star, a planet, an exceptionally large structure or group of structures, or the core of a gravity drive. While in deep space it becomes less effective, the law of universal gravitation means it never becomes totally useless, and when in close proximity to a powerful gravity source it should outperform most other thruster designs with ease.

Available research options

>Psionic Cannon prototype
Very slow/Very dangerous
Detailed accounts of several experiments show the slow progress of Project Godsplitter. The cannon itself is highly volatile, and even the smallest miscalculation often results in the destruction of the ship, as well as any nearby craft. It can only be equipped to a Hive ship's spinal mount, and requires a functional Void Shard as ammunition. At least a dozen testing sizes were atomized in testing the weapon, and in the end it appears The Gardener never quite perfected it.
>>
Hey, QD. I'd like to suggest you just drop all of these first ten posts or so into a pastebin or something. It's kind of silly.
>>
>>48214184
>The efficiency with which this material does this has proven to make researching it rather difficult, as your drones nearly lost the sample for several days until an enterprising Quantum Thinker had a worker team scour the hive for the elusive substance.
Ha! Nice to see the quantum thinkers proving their worth.
>>
>>48214264
It's tradition! And also it allows players to filter in over time.
>>
>>48214264
Hey, screw you, it's tradition. How else will we get HYPE about our impending technological breakthroughs?
>>
>>48214292
By reading the pastebin. Durr.
>>
>>48214245
Okay. That may work. My concern is that unless Devon actually succeeds at something big he won't be put in a position to learn anything important for us.

>>48214181
I'm fine with not revealing the Hive at this time. However, I think that if we DO decide to reveal the hive, having Devon do so is the way that would best benefit us. Since the OQ is already scouting the Union we may want to make introductions soon - which is why I proposed my idea now.
>>
>>48214023
>The alien ships appeared organic in design.
The Cortez actually did not make out such details, did they. Nobody knows this.

Also, they already knew Lee was the primary target of Lyle's mission. The Council talked about it. It was in Dillon's report.

And implicating the hive in the Mirage's destruction would just be silly.

Also we have left no witnesses to what equipment was used on Aral except for Mauser. The Smith is dead and Calhoun is in custody.

> The hive admitted to Lee outright they killed the Smith.
The Hive was rather vague on that point, and anyway, Lee doesn't appear to have TOLD the Union that. Because in their conversation with Devon, they implicate Lyle in the destruction of the Smith, because Lyle was on the bugger planet when it died, and he's killed one before.
>>39861689

Devon also doesn't really have specific knowledge of a lot of this evidence, like the Seiner lab things.
>>
>>48214327
I feel you. Given the fact that Devon was actually present on the bridge of the ship when it was attacked by the OQ, he's in a really good position to connect the dots and come up with that conclusion. Hell, we might even be able to blame all this on the OQ instead of us in the long run.
>>
>>48214155
>As your thinkers attempt to put these theories into practice, however, the first prototypes seems to indicate that said prototypes never existed, causing a bout of confusion among the hive with how to proceed. The project has since gotten back on track, and shows great promise.
>>48214184
>The testing has resumed, and is running ahead of schedule after the short delay.
M E T A
E
T
A

Also, shouldn't the notes Gilliam was given accelerate Tachyonic insulators by... a lot? How can Gilliam study containment if he isn't informed of all of its principles?
>>
TIME FOR QUEENY
>>
>>48214049
>Micro-rip drive
Can this target missiles or small suicide ships?

I guess what i am asking is if this can target either and incoming missile or outgoing missile and teleport it directly into the enemy.

At least we should be able to build a small ship filled only with explosives and teleport it directly into the enemy.
>>
I suggest that before citadel hive ship is finished we retrofit its drive into rip drive, now that research is finished.
>>
>>48214347
Fair enough. I largely included evidence Devon may not have directly had, but could gather if we could tell him where to look.

> The hive admitted to Lee outright they killed the Smith

My thinking here is the Union just thought of us bugs are far too stupid to be capable of killing a Smith and a Drop-trooper so easily and discarded Lee's report by assuming Lyle did it. With this other circumstantial evidence Devon may be able to get the analysts to question their initial assessment.
>>
>>48214438
Yeah, I agree. The "cool" factor, and the ability to quickly make effective allied strikes, is a major bonus. The Hive ship may be less combat effective, but is probably overall worth the alteration.
>>
>>48214459
Actually it feels like QM did not specify whether it needs a spinal mount, or if it can be used as a regular drive.
>>
>>48214438
We really don't need it. If you could present an actual reason for the rip drive then maybe. But for now the hangar is fine.

>>48214459

A specialized ship would be better.
>>
>>48214459
>>48214438
Wait should we put the microripdrive or a full blown rip drive like the one Heretic uses?
>>
>>48214347
>Also we have left no witnesses to what equipment was used on Aral except for Mauser. The Smith is dead and Calhoun is in custody.

Not necessarily true. The ship was monitoring the fight from orbit. There may have also been feeds from cameras the Smith or even from Mauser broadcasting back to the Union ship. We have no idea what kind of data, or lack thereof, may be in its black boxes.
>>
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>>48214260
The patrols of Leeland send their attention to a burst of radiation in the distance as a corvette emerges from warp. A moment later the minds of your drones rejoin you as the Orphan begins its approach. Your clone crew and captain have taken it upon themselves to open a tab, using the first wave of funds to help refurbish the hull of the ship. The short amount of time spent in dock has left the craft looking far less conspicuous, in addition to a rather interesting set of decorations. The shield cap has been smoothed over to a shining, reflective sheen. Its name has been painted around the rim, with a new hull number lifted from one of Deep Song's many less legitimate services indicating the Orphan to be a privately owned freighter under the direction of the company FormOther to any legal authority that may pass it by. On the spine, near the back of the shield cap in smaller, greenish lettering "Mother's Favorite" surrounded by decorative designs, all using the station's offered half-off opportunity.

The ship begins to drift into the atmosphere of Leeland, touching down and docking with one of the many spires reaching up above the surface. There is some level of distress within, and your clones request a number of fire spray equipped warriors to the airlock. Concerned, you provide the forces, and prepare for the worst. As the doors to the cargo bays open, your fire teams are nearly buried under an astounding flood of fur and flesh, cooing softly as the carpet of tribbles tumble out and across the floor of the hive. The clone crew make their way to the hive's docking bay, each holding at least a dozen of the small vermin in hand. They feel your mind upon them, and the captain looks down to his feet with guilt. He holds out a tribble, the original tribble, to your waiting speaker.

"It, uh, got out of the cage." He says. A worker quickly takes the small creature from his hands and scurries off with it towards the nutrient vats.

cont.
>>
>>48214430
Probably not since calculating FTL takes time.
However, I'm thinking opening a portal in front of a fleet/planet and have our ships on the other side shoot spinal railguns, sending slugs to bombard our target without endangering ships may be possible.
>>
>>48214459
>may be less combat effective
Anon is suggesting to replace the blink drive, which would not impact combat abilities at all.

But it would cost its ability to travel with any accuracy at all. It could come out literally anywhere in the target system.

Which, we're probably not going to throw the citadel into the frontlines, so maybe?

We could probably build a second hive ship that has a dedicated Rip Drive and no blink drive instead.
>>
>>48214489
My intention was full blown.
No point wasting a spinal mount when you can use it as a regular drive for the ship.
>>
>>48214518
>The ship was monitoring the fight from orbit.
Its sensors were busted. Only Calhoun was reporting anything about the battle, they had no idea what was going on except through his reports indicating the Smith was in trouble.

If there were wireless feeds we could have heard them.
>>
>>48214484
See:
>>48214551
>>
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>>48214438
Not worth swapping out the six kilometer railgun for it though.

>>48214525
It is time for weaponized tribbles.
>>
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>>48214525
>depart Lanway in 53.6
>arrive at Leeland in 57
How did it take 4 days to travel 32 lightyears at 2 lightyears per hour?
>>
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>>48214525
I WARNED YOU ABOUT TRIBBLES BRO

I WARNED YOU
>>
>>48214585
Maybe they had to refuel? I seem to recall inferior human ships had to do that in an earlier post.
>>
>>48214622
FTL doesn't require fuel, Canderon isn't used up. And they have a literally infinite amount of energy from the damn power tap.
>>
>>48214576
See:
>>48214568

It's surprising that people don't read what I wrote, I've mentioned drive, not spinal mount.
>>
>>48214585
They stumbled upun some problems along the way....
Lots of little problems...
Furry little problems...
Literally
>>
>>48214536
Read between the lines. The micro rip drive takes up one full spinal weapons slot, and our hive ships have only two spinal weapon mounts. So in the case of the citadel we'd have to swap out either the spinal hangar or the colossal railgun it has, which is currently the single most powerful gun in our entire armada.
>>
Concerning the rip drive, maybe it would be better to make a hive ship focused on diplomacy and combat to make joint attacks with any of our allies, have it blink into the allied fleet's system, open a wormhole to the enemy target, then leave when all the ships have gone through.
>>
>>48214688
Does mother really need a big and impressive but ultimately pointless penis symbol? I mean, she's a mother.
>>
>>48214706
That's a good idea, but who would we use it with? Theseus? Maybe it's more of an idea for the future.
>>
>>48214525
>New firepet arrives
At last. Awesome.

Will our clones finish dragging that holo-printer from thread 54 back to the sewer hive this thread too?

>>48214688
>micro
Who's talking about the micro version?
>>
I wonder if we can somehow harness these rapidly selfreproducing tribbles into a replenishing food supply? Like we could just keep them in a giant vat tossing in scraps and other junk they could eat
>>
>>48214637
You're right. I tried to find the thread I thought I remembered and found I was wrong. Sorry about that.

It sounds like the Orphan got a major overhaul, so that may have been where the time went instead.
>>
>>48214730
Commonwealth actually, since we're gonna invade the slavs with them, although we could use it with Theseus when heretic doesn't have enough rip driven ships.
>>
>>48214750
we dont pruduce any junk
>>
>>48214750
Our existing vats already do that. It would be pointless unless the tribbles have some way of accessing a food source that we don't yet, like some exotic radiation or something.

>>48214771
But the commonwealth are slavic
>>
Should we open up a joint research endevour with Theseus/Heretic to speed up some of our research?
>>
>>48214791
I think we should start mining minerals and producing food so we can build things
>>
>>48214750
We already have the Greenwall which does the same thing
>>
>>48214712
>pointless
You do realize the power of the railgun increases exponentially with the length, right? And that this gun is three times longer than the next biggest comparable weapon we can field? The slugs hit with the force of a multi mega ton nuclear warhead.

>>48214730
Commonwealth, pending our negotiations with them.

>>48214745
I don't think we have the access to the full size version yet.
>>
>>48214712
>>48214688
A better idea would be to make an artillery battleship with 4 spinal railguns and as many missiles as will fit. Then we just fire everything through the rip from lightdays away.
>>
Is anywhere worried about the consequences of ordering the commonwealth to hand over the crystal in the mirage over to us?

I mean we just alerted them to the fact we have an intelligence gathering reach to know the name of the union black op ship and also what it contained?

I mean they can not afford to have us help them against the scavs but their going to be on the guard even more now
>>
>>48214791
We already maximize research speed, our Thinker count is now so large we don't even track a number anymore.

Also Theseus is still Jewing us on his spacefold drive, so the more tech we research on our own, the more we can trade to him for research he developed on his own. Independence is necessary for trade.

Research is a currency, not just an end in itself. A currency to trade for more research that would otherwise be beyond our reach.
>>
>>48214777
I misspelled, meant scavs.
>>
>>48214815
You realize that's still just a big pointless gun, right? We don't have any situation where such a thing is necessary, because we can deal with anything by sending enough smaller and more practical ships at it.
>>
>>48214830
Yeah, I think we showed too much of our hand here. They'll definitely be wondering how the hell we knew that. At the same time, though, we really have them over the barrel. They can either fight a two front war with a powerful ally, or a three front war with no allies. Of the two, only one option exists that allows the Commonwealth to continue to exist as an entity.

I suspect they'll give us the crystal if they can recover it, but that they'll be more cautious and probably more demanding if their internal situation ever stabilizes.
>>
>>48214851
On that point my opinion is standard national procedure:
Better have a fuckhuge gun and not need it than need it and not have it.
>>
>>48214791
We definitely need both of their help whenever we start producing the Psionic Canon. Theseus has the computing power while Heretic helped the Gardener with her Canon.
>>
>>48214885
You can say the same about a giant fleet-mover.
>>
>>48214791
I think we should offer to trade some of our tech with Theseus. I really want to acquire those EMP limpets he used to down the Clarke, they'd make our harpoons so much more effective. While we're at it, there are a bunch of things we need to discuss with him, I made a list.

-Possibility of forming a formal alliance and notifying other factions of this.
-Opening diplomatic/economic links with the Commonwealth, recognition of Unity's sovereignty
-More open technology trades, we've been hesitant because we don't know what he can offer
-Increased co-operation between our respective intelligence gathering operations.

>>48214830
Yes, very. Although the way QD handled that vote gives me the impression he isn't planning on fucking us over because of it.

>>48214777
The commonwealth is everything and everyone that existed on Earth. They basically just exported every culture and nation onto their own private planets.
>>
>>48214830
It means they'll probably expect us to have spooky-good spying techniques.
Which is why we should be prepared to lie about how we detected it. Preferably by saying our 'special sensors no you cant have any,' detected it, and Union/Commonwealth media filled us in on the rest.

Also, a thought for everyone:
We know where the Scavenger rally point is.
We can make a ton of pods with bombs in them.
They won't be expecting us to pull the same shit we pulled on the Obsidian/Black Queen, as they haven't seen it happen.
So why not nuke their asses back to the stone age? If we haven't already, that is.
>>
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>>48213906
>>
>>48214902
>-Possibility of forming a formal alliance and notifying other factions of this.
>-Opening diplomatic/economic links with the Commonwealth, recognition of Unity's sovereignty
>-More open technology trades, we've been hesitant because we don't know what he can offer
>-Increased co-operation between our respective intelligence gathering operations.
Agreed on all points
>>
>>48214851
>We don't have any situation where such a thing is necessary
Firing on the Scavenger command point like Theseus did to the lab. We could even get Theseus to help us with the calculations.
>>
>>48214851
I'd say you are as thick as pig shit. The entire point of a gun is to be destructive, and this particular gun is many magnitudes more destructive than anything else we have. For god's sakes, the battlecruiser sized railgun used by the Commonwealth in the battle for Iserholn was capable of breaking up continents.
>>
>>48214904
The kamikaze pods idea would be great to do right before invading with the commonwealth.
>>
>>48214932
We don't have a need for such a gun. It can't do anything that we can't manage without it.
>>
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>>48214525
As your warriors clear the loading bay, filling the air with distressed squawking and the smell of burnt hair, workers swarm over to a large, heavily dented metal crate. Muffled roars escape from within as the workers haul it into the grip of several loading cranes and begin hauling it into the cargo bay of the hive. A number of heavy warriors stand ready, and a colossus waits patiently with its head emerging from a large tunnel leading deeper into the hive proper.

As the drones gather around, the crate opens, and the beast within emerges. The so called Red spotted Carnotar is certainly quite the sight. A massive, bipedal beast lumbers forth with rather frightening speed and grace. Its long, muscular arms scrape at the floor despite its almost fully erect posture, feeling the ground for anything of interest. It quickly finds something, grabbing hold of a warrior and picking it up like a toy. Your drone stabs its hand with its blades, forcing it to drop the drone as it lets out an enraged roar, and slaps it across the hangar like a rag doll. It leans forward into a run as it grinds its massive teeth in anger, and charges, slapping several heavy warriors out of its way before tackling the colossus. The large drone leans back from the impact, and slowly pushes forward as the creature claws at its face, and it grips the beast's neck in its mandibles as warriors begin to swarm over it. You feel the minds of several of your drones wink out as it crushes them in its grip, biting them in half or tossing them away like refuse before it eventually falls before your drones and your colossus throws it to the ground.

cont.
>>
When will we finally make the scavs pay for not trading comfortable seating with us
>>
>>48214955
Yet.
>>
>>48214974
Therefore it's a waste of resources currently.
>>
>>48214955
You are wrong. Not even our missiles are as destructive as that gun, while being next to impossible to dodge and being free to shoot. It's a far more effective weapon platform than anything else we've got.
>>
>>48215004
No, you aren't hearing what I'm saying. I'm not saying that we have something else that's as powerful as that gun. What I'm saying is we don't have a conceivable situation in front of us where we need a singular gun of that power.
>>
>>48215019
What about bombarding OQ strong points for a planetary invasion? It may be one of the few weapons strong enough to actually penetrate deep into her hives while "conventional" nukes only impact the surface. It's also "cheap" to fire lots of rail gun rounds compared with our other tech.
>>
>>48215019
Are you kidding? There are bombardment scenarios, naval duels with other capitol ships, ambushes using the rip drives, I can think of dozens of scenarios where a fuckhuge gun like that would be invaluable. Just look at how the Unity uses their 20 kilometer guns if you need an example.
>>
Just a thought... During a large fleet space battle is it possible to use the ripdrive tactically? Say, open up a huge rift in front of our fleet yet have the exit come up BEHIND the enemy fleet, only for us to bombard everything through to hit them from the back where their shields might (possibly) be weaker?

Alternatively we could spawn the rip yet have them shoot themselves with its use. Or is that impractical?
>>
>>48214932
>the battlecruiser sized railgun used by the Commonwealth in the battle for Iserholn
The what.

Oh you mean Iserlohn.

>>48214933
As we've seen from the OQ, 'kamikaze pods' is a trick you can only pull off once, and then they'll be prepared for it.

Also, the longer the Scavs are a threat, the more useful we are to the Commonwealth. If we maintain a defensive position, we can Jew them out of more Canderon the longer we patrol their borders.

If the Scavs were actually exterminated, they wouldn't need us anymore. We don't want to be TOO effective. We just want to keep human technology out of Scav claws.

...Although on that note we may want to at least attack and destroy that human ship they captured.
>>
>>48215058
Also known as the 'Quit-hitting-yourself-drive'
>>
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>>48214966
The creature has two, massive tree trunk sized arms usually held resting on the ground with its knuckles in the dirt. It has two rather short, but tremendously thick legs perched atop a set of plantigrade feet lined with stabilizing claws that rip into whatever surface it walks across. Its face is boney and devoid of flesh, almost like a skeleton, with deep, four deep, sunken eyes staring out of sockets that seem too large. Its bald, bone covered head is covered in curling horns that swirl around its head like a crown, and its back is covered in red splotches of thin skin that seem to secrete an odd ooze after death, with a number of eggs held beneath that quickly begin to hatch, the resulting young already the size of a small vehicle each overwhelm several warriors as they swarm out of the carcase before being put down by your own swarm.

Your drones carry the all-too dangerous young into the hive and dump them into the vats as workers begin dissecting the larger beast, if only to have it easily fit into your labs.

[New Research Added]

>Tribble dissection
Very Fast
These small creatures are more like a fist-sized bacteria than any kind of typical multi-cellular life form. They seem to be capable of reproduction moments after birth, and are capable of asexual reproduction. In a word, they are born pregnant, and the astounding speed with which they can infest a starship gives your thinkers dastardly ideas of their own.

>Carnotar dissection
Very Fast
This massive beast is a terrifying example of the powers of evolution to overcome physical limitations. It is astoundingly sure footed for such a large beast, and a careful examination of its biological architecture should be quite revealing in that regard.

>Add Tribble dissection
>Add Carnotar dissection
>Add neither
>Add both
>>
>>48215058
Well it could work the the real question is is a rip drive a one way street if the enemy can use the opening it becomes pretty useless
>>
>>48214966
We really ought to develop a new standard heavy drone design. The Colossus is good and all but outdated by this point.
>>
>>48215044
>What about bombarding OQ strong points for a planetary invasion?
No. We can do that with regular penetrators or we can't do it at all. Simply because our giant gun can't be in thousands of places at once to cover an entire planet-hive, which would be what you're suggesting here.

>It's also "cheap" to fire lots of rail gun rounds compared with our other tech.
[citation needed]

>>48215050
>naval duels
This is a great example of what we shouldn't be doing. There's no reason to fight a fucking duel, we're a hive. We swarm.

>ambushes using the rip drives
This is a good point for getting rid of the gun, since we'd be much better at it.
>>
>>48215095
>Add both
What else would we ever choose?
>>
>>48215070
Nah, I want a total space war, no survivors. Crush the scav scum, who's main fleets haven't yet been exposed to our space mines, and still keep their fleets in tightly knitted formations connected to one another. An easier target for a kamikaze pod, I could not think of.
>>
>>48215095
Both, do you need to ask? All the research.
>>
>>48215095
>>Add both
>>
>>48215095
>>Add both

>>48215117
Okay, you clearly have no idea how space combat is run and calculated in this quest. Try reading the archives and the ask pages if you want to get a bearing on it.
>>
>>48215095
>>Add both
>>
>>48215156
Read the archives and followed the entire quest, thanks.
>>
>>48215070
>As we've seen from the OQ, 'kamikaze pods' is a trick you can only pull off once, and then they'll be prepared for it.
But with the Micro rip drive we can teleport the kamikaze pods directly into the enemy!
>>
>>48215117

>It's also "cheap" to fire lots of rail gun rounds compared with our other tech.

It's common sense. A railgun round is just a big slab of tungsten. It's not a bunch of nanites or a nuke. It's just a big slab of rock. Ammo ain't much cheaper than that.

I think the biggest benefit of a big fuckoff gun is not in it's utility but in its deterrent effect. Just like having the hive ship look intimidating but be less combat effective than equivalent expenditure in battleships, having a giant gun that can destroy mountains (and demonstrating that) could make it less likely other entities attack us at all.
>>
>>48215095
>>Add both
Tribble Camotars!
>>
>>48215095
>These small creatures are more like a fist-sized bacteria than any kind of typical multi-cellular life form. They seem to be capable of reproduction moments after birth, and are capable of asexual reproduction. In a word, they are born pregnant, and the astounding speed with which they can infest a starship gives your thinkers dastardly ideas of their own.
Space aphids.
>>
>>48215167
>Not opening a wormhole right behind them and shoot railguns slugs through it.
>>
>>48215058
>*teleports behind you*
>*unsheathes plasma lance*
>nothing personnel...auntie.....

Seriously though. What the hell does 'behind' somebody mean for a SPACESHIP? You know their back is just as protected as their front, and they have sensors pointing in all directions, right?
>where their shields might (possibly) be weaker?
That would be ridiculous. They're not weaker.

QD's devised the rip drive so that it's basically useless tactically. It's good for getting into a system and that's it.

>>48215167
No it can't. It has, at best, light-minute accuracy. That is a fucking massive range to miss by, far larger than the largest ship, which is 6 kilometers.

>>48215162
Missiles cost nutrients/metals, but railgun ammo does not subtract from resources, I think anon is alluding to.
>>
>>48215095
Add both

Mother does ALL the research!
>>
>>48215190
>Big stick diplomacy
>>
>>48215190
No, really, I know it works like that in the real world, I picked up your argument immediately, that's why I asked for a citation. What I'm asking you is why you think the other weapon systems we use in the quest are worse off than a railgun? They're energy weapons. They cost basically the same thing or even less - a little bit of matter, a big batch of power, and that's about it.
>>
>>48215208
I was under the impression that the wormhole opened around a target for a very short time and not opening in front of them and holding it open while they go through it.
>>
>>48215210
Actually, I believe Union ships are much less protected in their rear that in the front where the shield-cap is. Even though makes sense for fighting humans the most, it seems like most ships generally have most of their guns facing a single direction. The OQ's hive ship, for example, couldn't even bring its main railgun around to fire until we had already destroyed almost its entire escort.
>>
>>48215240
you are thinking of theseus' singularity drive
>>
>>48215244
>The OQ's hive ship
Battleship anon. We've yet to see her hive ship.
>>
>>48215210
>No it can't. It has, at best, light-minute accuracy. That is a fucking massive range to miss by, far larger than the largest ship, which is 6 kilometers.
Awwwww :(
>>
>>48215235
QD has stated at multiple times that energy weapons are hopless at planetary bombardment, and that railguns are the best weapon for that job hands down. Just let it go man.
>>
>>48215286
m8 we already have plenty of railguns, this is not an argument for or against the big gun either way. I was just wondering where you were coming from on that separate tangent.
>>
>>48215244
Well duh, spinal weapons are oriented, but moving out of the range of spinal weapons doesn't require teleporting behind you.

>>48215235
Energy weapons can't glass continents. They're efficient, but they don't scale like matter does. They're too easy to accelerate to lightspeed, and correspondingly too easy to get scattered by the atmosphere.
>>
>>48215301
The big railgun won't be able to glass continents either, unless we build a few hundred more hiveships with them.
>>
>>48215319
>>48214932
>>40319255
>In orbit, you see the largest of the Commonwealth ships, the dreadnought Wormwood, release a projectile from its spinal mount. It attracts your attention as you see it move, trailing a wake of twisted light behind it like a gravity drive. It impacts the ground and begins to burrow into the crust, uprooting buildings and capsizing mountains. The blast quickly spreads across a sizable portion of a continent, and you can see the ship maneuvering to a new location, as if to fire again when a Scavenger cruiser snaps in half as it tries to crack through the Wormwood's shields.

That was a human battleship. 2 kilometers long, not even 6 kilometers.
>>
>>48215267
We did fight a hive ship, actually, in the battle for the relay over refuge. Here's QD's description of OQ's forces at the start of the battle:

"Your pod counts the enemy forces. While you cannot make a full count of the patrolling craft drifting through the entire system, blinking in and out with supplies periodically, the bulk of the defensive fleet itself consists of a single Hive ship, flanked by four cruiser and sixteen frigates, with fifty or more corvettes and an untold number of swarm drones.

(1) Obsidian Hive ship
(4) Cruisers
(16) Frigates
(>50) Corvettes"

Source:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/42346621/
>>
>>48215353
Yeah, I'd really like us to have a railgun a few orders of magnitude more powerful than this.

I do feel like all this arguing is getting us nowhere and is just eating into the bump limit now, though.
>>
>>48215353
Obviously just being poetic. A single blast strong enough to literally destroy continents through sheer kinetic energy is not physically feasible for a ship that small to fire without breaking apart or at least not being flung out of the system it's in. The difference in scale doesn't permit it.

You also wouldn't see mountains uprooted if it was continent-scale destruction, they'd just disintegrate as a too small to be seen afterthought.

Like someone else said, we're dealing with megaton-scale detonations here, not teraton ones like you seem to think.
>>
>>48215418
>>48215353
That was clearly a Canderon infused gravity weapon, not your standard railgun, jfc
>>
>>48215418
>That gun isn't doing what is explicitly written in the post!
>It's just a poetic metaphor!
>R-really guys
Anon just give it up, you're not convincing anyone and just pushing the thread further to the bump limit.
>>
>>48215445
Anon, if you can't tell the difference between literal descriptions and stylistic ones, then you're probably legit autistic.

Someone else gave a better explanation here though >>48215438, and that makes a lot more sense
>>
>>48215445
And there's no second thread tonight
>>
>>48215095
>Add both

Gilliam stands at his workstation as he examines the readouts of the latest test with fascination. You find the process as tedious as watching the team of humans bash rocks together as they struggle to unravel the rather basic fundamentals of psionics. A soft tone plays from the ceiling and a technician calls for Gilliam's attention in his office. He groans, and makes his way out of the lab. In his office the face of Secretary Windsor is already on the screen of his terminal.

"Sir? Did you need something?" Gilliam says.

"You remember when I asked you to look over the work of Dr. Emmerich?" He asks. Gilliam tenses.

"Yes. I still can't exactly consider him a reliable source, given what I know about him from the files you sent."

"Well we agree. Me and the council elected to put the project on hold, at least until all the research data could be gone over by another team. We figured that, given their situation, they could have made a mistake under stress." Windsor says sternly. "I'm trying my best not to assume the worst here, but you know full well that's not easy for me."

"So you wanted me to look over the data again?" Gilliam asks, confused. Windsor leans back in his seat.

"Something like that. You're already brought into the know on the project, so you're already the first pick to ask, and you also have excellent credentials. I'd like to know what your theory is on what, if anything, could disable a quantum communications link that could be related to your research." Gilliam scratches his head as he takes a seat.

cont.
>>
>>48215445
You act as though bump limit ever stops QD.
>>
>>48215465
Not with that attitude.
>>
>>48215465
>>48215480
Meant to say
>And what if there's no second thread tonight
>>
>>48215473
"You mean the artifacts. From what I can tell, they emanate some form of radiation that we're as yet unable to detect, although I've had mixed results in training humans to detect them, and a number of other life forms have shown varying degrees of sensitivity. So far the artifacts have been able to emit these signals, and likely can detect them, but until I can figure out a way to make a machine detect and measure these signals I can't know much more in detail. You're asking if they could disrupt quantum tunneling?" He says. "May I ask why, exactly?" Windsor breaths deeply as he looks over a file.

"Well, the facility was planning on a test of a new design intended to improve containment through application of gravitic fields to augment the containment field. After the incident before, I ordered it postponed until further notice, however... I'm not entire sure if the message got through. All communications with the base have been disrupted, and it looks like the test is already commencing its first stage. I have already cleared a team to go there in person and figure this out, but I wanted to run it by you to get any issues you think could arise out of the way first."

He clicks a button, and several simple looking schematics appear on the screen, most consisting of slightly modified power taps. One schematic catches your eye, for a device referred to as a Tartarus Reactor, holding a small object designated as the containment device for "Artifact Signi", with five of the modified power taps arranged around it at regular intervals, all held in some manner of additional containment.

>Speak with Windsor (write in)
>Ask for additional information (Specify)
>Other
>>
>>48215669
FFFFFFFFFFFF-
HE'S GOING ROUGE AND GOING AHEAD WITH THE TEST
>Ask for additional information (Specify)
What's the nature of the Tartarus Reactor? Could it be giving off radiation that's scrambling your communications with the base? If it is, the staff are likely being exposed to it, you better be careful who you send in, but I'd send in plenty of men.
>>
>>48215669
Oh fuck.

>"Well, the facility was planning on a test of a new design intended to improve containment through application of gravitic fields to augment the containment field. After the incident before, I ordered it postponed until further notice, however... I'm not entire sure if the message got through. All communications with the base have been disrupted, and it looks like the test is already commencing its first stage.

I guess we know what's going on at Nowhere

>Ask for additional information (Ask about previous and ongoing containment procedures).
>>
>>48215669

>Speak with Windsor
Ask to go to the site personally.
>>
>>48215669
>Tartarus Reactor, holding a small object designated as the containment device for "Artifact Signi", with five of the modified power taps arranged around it at regular intervals, all held in some manner of additional containment

Tooooootally not a doomsday weapon

>>48215732
>I guess we know what's going on at Nowhere
GODDAMNIT
When Gillian first asked where Emmerich's lab was Killinger dismissively said "Nowhere"

HOW DID NONE OF US CATCH THAT?!
>>
>>48215669
>Other
From what I have seen of these notes, the project may have very dangerous, perhaps cataclysmic side effects. If you have any doubts about being able to stop the test in time, I strongly encourage you to eliminate the station.
>>
>>48215669
Is there already another team heading to the lab in person with a second quantum comm to see if their communication works?

I assume this is at Nowhere in Valen space.
>>
>>48215740
This.
>>
>>48215669
What kind of effects has Artifact Signi been observed to have so far?

What's a Tartarus Reactor?
>>
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>>48215802
What cataclysmic effects? There is no evidence of that. Don't be silly.

He's already got a team going there to SHUT IT DOWN. He doesn't need us to recommend that.
>>
>>48215758
>GODDAMNIT
>When Gillian first asked where Emmerich's lab was Killinger dismissively said "Nowhere"
>HOW DID NONE OF US CATCH THAT?!
We are bad Thinkers
>>
>>48215848
>What's a Tartarus Reactor?
Tartarus, as in the deepest part of the antique Roman/Greek underworld or Hell, so it's meant to contain "hell". Stupid monkeys stop poking the gates of hell with your science sticks!
>>
>>48215872
We really should be recycled for nutrients.
>>
>>48215758
>When Gillian first asked where Emmerich's lab was Killinger dismissively said "Nowhere"

What.

Gilliam never asked where Emmerich's lab was, and he never spoke to Killinger. Only Secretary Windsor. Are you dreaming? Or can you link a post?

>>48215669
So, if there isn't a technical issue that can theoretically explain the lack of response... you suspect Emmerich's eccentricities are responsible?
>>
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>>48215915
Time for Lyle to become the Void Slayer
>>
>>48214049
We could use the microship drive on defense stations scattered around a system to port fighters into confrontations en mass, letting us distribute our forces in a fashion difficult to alpha strike efficiently.
>>
>>48215965
That seems like the best best, using it to deploy fighters and small craft from a hangar rapidly, possibly sending in swarms of suicidal fighters/swarmers into an enemy system without fear of losing the larger ship
>>
>>48215965
The hive, due to our ability to move our big ships almost instantly, is almost impossible to take out with an alpha strike*

*With one exception. The queen is a gigantic hole in our entire defensive strategy. If she dies (or is corrupted) it's game over. It's our one weakness.
>>
>>48215669
Why does it need five power taps?

How exactly do we know that the test is already commencing its first stage if the communications are disrupted?

And how close is your team to arrival? Can I get them on quantum comms when they arrive?
>>
We should turn Elizabeth into a Queen.
>>
>>48216020
No.
>>
>>48215438
>That was clearly a Canderon infused gravity weapon
Do relativistic projectiles not always leave a wake of twisted light behind them caused by their speed.
>>
Hey guys: With the new rip drive, we could design it alongside something like a shotgun spinal mount and just teleport the ordinance over. Might not work over system, but itd be a hell of a way to deliver swarm missiles faster than any PD can keep up with.
>>
>>48216062
I only assume it was because of the comment about
>trailing a wake of twisted light behind it like a gravity drive
and the pure cataclysmic damage of it. It was like a weaker Immolator warhead
>>
>>48215669
First stage? Just how many stages are there? Is it dangerous?
>>
>>48216061
Yes
>>
>>48213906
>Your pod drifts through nothingness. A bubble of space out from within the nebula in which your pod drifts from a long dissipated super nova. The walls of gas surround your distant, drifting pod on all sides, whispering with the reflected radiation and the subtle crackling of the nebula itself. The bubble, the system, although there is no longer any star, is silent and uninteresting. Your pod watches as the rare traffic moves to and from one of the small backwater colonies carved into the chunks of drifting stone and poorly held together derelict hulls drifting through space. It is a system of rejects, outlaws, and pirates. The only place of any interest, however fleeting, is the singular dwarf planet. A tiny world, slowly drifting through the absent void so appropriately named by the locals as Nowhere, devoid of starlight, with only the cold hum of sparse and secretive hideouts hardly large enough to be called settlements only slightly glow against the freezing backdrop of absolute zero.
>Something grabs your pod's attention. A sudden, growing noise slowly, gradually building up from nothing to a distinct mental cry. Your pod moves closser, its cloaked form drifting over the dark world, and you can make out the distinct but meaningless noise of some psionic disturbance, like a grating of metal against metal making you shudder and recoil from the unnatural sensation. Before long, your pod begins to detect gravitational disturbances as well, focused, and highly localized but tremendous in strength.
>Send our fleet here

I'm thinking that this is the location of the experiment.
>>
>>48216092
You can't fucking aim more precise than a light-minute, pay attention, we talked about this higher up. You will miss, with something like five 9s of certainty.
>>
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>>48216016
Five power taps, arranged in regular intervals...

Goddamn it it's a fucking pentagram. Motherfuckers don't you recognize something that's obviously evil!
>>
>>48216149
Maybe I shouldn't have suggested to QD that he should play the new DOOM, oops
>>
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>>48215669
Who the hell named something the Tartarus reactor.
>>
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>>48216149
>>48216175
>Project is basically named Hell
>project head is already coocoo from thinking psychic powers exist
>void crystal demons
>black hole pentagrams
How deep does the rabbit hole go
>>
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>>48215669
"These schematics don't make much sense. What exactly is the intended purpose of this reactor?" Gilliam asks as he thumbs through the notes.

"The artifact has, according to Emmerich, shown similar, but far more potent capabilities as your own artifacts. The differences, however, are rather stark. Firstly, the artifact seems to be self-contained. It requires no power sources, although it does seem to be capable of augmenting and amplifying other power sources. The math doesn't add up on that, but we've ran enough tests to be sure about it. It also seems to have some kind of spacetime altering properties, similar to canderon. It is Emmerich's belief that the artifact is the key element in the slip drive, and possibly the power source of the Ceph ships themselves. From our readings, it could even power their weapons." The secretary says. "Now after we ordered the test delayed, I never received any confirmation. The comms indicated the facility was powering up the reactor when the quantum comm link was severed."

"And you think it was the reactor?" Gilliam asks. Windsor seems distracted for a moment before he answers.

"I hope it was. I wanted to ask if you had any good explanations for how that could happen."

"I should inspect the facility myself, if you're so interested in my opinion of it." Gilliam says. Windsor raises an eyebrow in contemplation.

"No, no the ship already departed. It's not exactly in a good part of town, so I've got a marine detachment moving in to secure the facility and assist in any repairs that may be needed, in addition to installing a new Q-comm."

Your pod continues to study the dark surface of the bleak, sunless world, examining the strange mental signal emanating from within. Not far away, a small corvette begins to close in on the planet, breaking off from the sparse traffic of shuttles and worn looking starships.

cont.

>>48216175
Ironically, the reactor was in early production before the hiatus.
>>
>All this demonology.
I am tempted on voting for berating Windsor.
>>
>>48216195
Having a twisted sense of humoir seems to be a hireing requirement for these black ops.
>>
>>48216228
>Your pod continues to study the dark surface of the bleak, sunless world, examining the strange mental signal emanating from within. Not far away, a small corvette begins to close in on the planet, breaking off from the sparse traffic of shuttles and worn looking starships.
>Send the fleet!
Send the Fleet now.
>>
>>48216216
It goes down to the point another dimension is breached and even the void gods are going "wtf are you doing?"
>>
>>48216228
>marines
Oh god, they're gonna reenact Alien and Doom, WITHOUT us.
>>
>>48216228
>>48216246
Send in kamekaze pods and have them wait until the marines fail.
>>
>>48216246
No you dumbass. It's not worth it. We've already got the Sulaco closing in. It will get there before we do, the marines can take down everyone who's a problem.

And in the worst case scenario, some humans get eaten by the void and learn to never tamper with these again. Touching a hot stove and all.
>>
>>48216263
Let's tell Lee, Elizabeth and Lyle that the union is summoning demons.
>>
>>48216020
This isn't Starcraft faggot.
>>
>>48216282
No man, worst case is a permanent breach.
And at that point we'll wish we'd have a BIGGER gun.
>>
>>48216289
Yes.

We shall use obscure earth knowledge sources and act like we actually believe it. For 2 whole minutes.
>>
>>48216228
>It requires no power sources, although it does seem to be capable of augmenting and amplifying other power sources. The math doesn't add up on that, but we've ran enough tests to be sure about it.

"So, it sounds like it must be drawing power from somewhere else. The same way an FTLComm draws information through its quantum string..."
>>
>>48216228
Ask Theseus if he can take out the station for us.
>>
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>>48216356
>destroying the containment field
>all that keeps what's within at bay
>>
>>48216367
Or hack into it, whatever. I'd rather have someone stop this shit from happening that isn't us.
>>
>>48216367
We don't even know whats happening inside, and blinking in an infiltration team is gonna be a clusterfuck since the marines are gonna be on the lookout for anything weird.
>>
>>48216246
Send in the fleet.

We can claim we heard the psionic signal from a far off region of space and realized the humans were doing some extinction-level stupidity and came there to bail out their ass. We can maintain plausible deniability with regards to Leeland if that's really what anons want. We need to shut down the dumb as hell (heh) Union experiments NOW!
>>
>>48216400
There is pretty much no way we can stop this except via the human marines already on the way. No one else can arrive in time, and outright damaging the facility just makes it worse.

Theseus arriving in the system would make the marines flee or attack him, delaying the interference we need.
>>
>>48216400
Or we could send in pods, wait for shit to go down then kamikaze whatever deamon was summoned.
Plus such a catastrophe would spook windsor on not fucking with the crystals.
>>
>>48216400
These are machine components specifically designed to monitor the void god. The very last thing we want is to risk Theseus becoming corrupted.
>>
So, we get to watch a DOOM event happen.

Someone get the synth popcorn and a seat for our humans. We can also send down help for the one true DOOM Marine who comes out of it as a new recruit into Mothers family.
>>
>>48216430
No. You're overreacting. People always overreact. Interference makes it worse, not better.

Like who thought making a terrorist attack against a Parliament voting for national security measures would make the bill LESS likely to pass?
>>
>>48216504
Noone, It was a false flag
>>
>>48216453
See, I'm worried that Windsor, Killinger, or someone somewhere on the Union council is the correct mix of stupid, ambitious, and greedy to see something powerful and think to themselves: "What if I could control that." Remember how they wanted to make the Hive slaves? The Union will have no idea that the "powerful thing" they are messing with could not only remove them from power, but erase their species altogether.

And as an engineered bio-weapon designed to fight the void-gods, the humans would, indeed, be condemned to extinction if found.
>>
>>48216480
I like how you think, compadre

I always imagined nutrient paste looking like finely pureed guacamole
>>
>>48216538
Going to be a fun time when we announce to their entier species that our mother made them the way they are.
>>
>>48216534
Not talking about that, slowpoke.

The vast majority of players thought a new terrorist attack would be a good idea to stop the consolidation bill somehow, and were only dissuaded when one person pointed out that that they were being coaxed into a snafu.
>>
>>48216504
Why is it an over-reaction?

We have to reveal ourselves to the Union soon anyway, we are much stronger than them militarily, we have infiltrated the inner circle of their political and military establishment, and if they keep messing with this, or if the marines are completely in over their heads and fuck things up further, it could start a doomsday clock.

They need to know if they pursue this research any further we will end them. While they will obviously continue the research clandestinely, it could take years for them to ensure the facilities are secure against our observation.
>>
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>>48216228
Your pod examines the planet, quickly surveying the surface as your hive pulls what it can from the Union's public networks. The system, if you can technically apply the term, is formed from the remains of a long faded super nova, blasting a bubble of open space within the nebula in valen space. The region itself was settled by the humans who fought in the valen first contact war, and was largely populated by refugees and desperate militia fighters. To this day, it is held by the same stubborn group of humans who refuse to recognize any other government in any official form, and they are in turn, not recognized by any government.

Tenebris, the small dwarf planet your pod orbits, hardly a quarter of the size of earth, is a small world bathed in perpetual darkness. With no local star, the only light is the radiant glow of the surrounding nebula. The planet is barren, but to your great surprise, not lifeless. Eyeless, silicon based lithovores tunnel beneath the surface, and scour the barren landscape above, feeding on the scattered mineral deposits, and on each other.

You detect more than the one facility, although none of them advertise their position. Each is a small fortress, hidden beneath thick layers of rock and bunker facilities. From what you can determine, each use a series of sonic fences to keep the massive lithovores at bay.

Near a jagged, black mountain stands a single building. A docking facility is built into the upper levels of the large, pyramidal structure. It is the only source of visible light for hundreds of kilometers, casting vast shadows that stretch out to the hills and twisted crags around it.

>Ask Windsor for more information (write in)
>Warn him that the facility is dangerous (write in)
>Speak with Windsor (write in)
>Other
>>
>>48216609
>Ask Windsor for more information (write in)
What does he think is the worst-case scenario for this.
>>
>>48216593
The Union already wants to stop the research! Windsor sent a team to SHUT IT DOWN.

Interfering now would only potentially destroy the containment field and fuck it up further.

The marines are the only ones in a position to stop things safely. Blinking in ships and blowing things up does not help.
>>
>>48216609
>Other
Wait to see which facility the ship docks at, then send in the fleet.
>>
>>48216609
>Eyeless, silicon based lithovores tunnel beneath the surface, and scour the barren landscape above, feeding on the scattered mineral deposits, and on each other.
I kind of want to snatch a few before the planet goes tits up
>>
>>48216609
Do we have a direct line to the team of marines? Can we observe remotely on video feed?

What's the second stage of testing?
>>
>>48216609

>Ask Windsor for more information (write in)
Ask him about what, if any, consequences he foresees from a containment breach.

>other
Blink in a cloaked fleet. Do the blink in opposite the main facilities and move our ships into position for when things go fubar.
>>
>>48216589
Anon, if those things get into our universe right now, we are FUCKED, you do realize that, right? We haven't even put a dent in OQ's forces, the humans are practically at each other's throats, and when we inevitably have to show ourselves to fight the void, everyone and their mother is going to flip shit when they figure out we got to where we are in a month.
>>
You know, if the union succeeds in summoning the void god we can have our commonwealth diplomat freak out and ramble about the "Union having angered the dark god"
If they ask how we know we can just say "We know because the dark god knows" then we have both a reason for telling them about the danger of crystals, wanting the wreckage of the mirage and justification for invading the union.
>>
>>48216609
>Warn him that the facility is dangerous (write in)
You described the artifact as... 'Hostile'.

If the containment is as flawed as I suspect, and if it acts as a multiplier to energy proportional to what goes in.

I don't want to imagine what it could accomplish if it drew on and multiplied the enormous power of five quantum power taps.

And it draws its excess energy from where? You think this is a Ceph artifact? If it's drawing energy from elsewhere, is it also drawing orders and information from the same source? Or sending information back?

What if we're giving Ceph knowledge of the quantum power tap.
>>
>>48216609

>Other
Fleet in the system, preferably cloaked. Best be prepared.
>>
>>48216786
As stated here,
>>48216754
We are boned if the void get into our plane of existence.
>>
Anon, the real question we should be asking is: Can we rit drive an entire dwarf planet into a black hole?
>>
>>48216813
It's a void crystal, the cephs are least of our problems with that.
>>
>>48216754
>>48216830
That isn't how it works.

That's not how any of this works.

Just because there are five power taps doesn't mean it's summoning it. God is constrained in what they can do. They can only attack by being attacked first. They can only see what sees them first.

>>48216860
Humans can't infer that.
>>
>>48216841
We don't have a rift drive emplacement big enough to do that.
>>
>>48216609
>Ask Windsor for more information (write in)
Worst case cenario.
>Other.
Send in clacked ships and kamikaze pods.
>>
>>48216879
So what is this machine going to do when it's activated?
>>
>>48216889
Yet is the missing word. We could eventually build one to teleport entire fleets around.
>>
>>48216691
>>48216720
>>48216818

If we blink in a cloaked fleet (I hope we do), please make sure there's lots of ghost-beetles with their quantum minds that can detach from the main hive. I don't want to let the void god have a direct line to queenie.

>>48216786
This is smart. If we have to intervene our diplomat should probably mention something to the Commonwealth regardless. I really hope they don't let the dark god out though.
>>
>>48216609
What's the projected energy output of this reactor if it's successful?
>>
>>48216609
>>48216813
This. Under no circumstances blink in a fleet at this point.
>>
>>48216919
It will swallow the planet and facility and everything in it.

What does a slip drive do? It transports things into No Space and to elsewhere.

He is feeding it enough power to encompass the entire planet. He's going to meet God, and give Him a power source He has never seen before, that will give the enemy unimaginable amounts of energy from nothingness.
>>
>>48216786
We must also inform Theseus of this and tell him about our possible invasion of the union, invite him to join.
>>
Could we offer to help resettle earth to the commonwealth?
>>
>>48216609
Gilliam quickly flips through the notes on his screen.

"And what about the marines? I assume you have a connection with them now?"

"I will be monitoring their progress personally. If there was an attack on the facility we can't allow them to damage the artifacts, if they can be damaged by conventional means. Of course, at the very least the reactor itself involves multiple power taps in its function. If they were damaged or destabilized in an attack, we could lose everything." Windsor says. Gilliam rubs his chin as he reads through the data slack jawed.

"And that's the worst you think could happen?"

"Well the device itself is designed to be a more powerful source of the energy emitted by your artifacts. Emmerich believes that if it can be made to function with our technology we may be able to use it to detect and measure this radiation, as well as unlocking the secrets of the ceph slip drive. We still understand so little about how they function, how they navigate space, or what strange functions of spacetime allow for this slipspace to exist in the first place."

"Forgive me if I'm not cleared to know this, but you didn't answer my question." Gilliam says, his voice increasingly urgent.

"The Tartarus reactor is designed to use gravitics to manipulate the artifact instead of the radiation it seems to normally use to function. With the right amount, the theory is we'll be able to open our own slipspace rift, and possibly enter it. The original plan was to open a rift and take readings, then send a prope through if it's stable." Gilliam's hand goes through the holographic screen as he flips through the files and sends the pages flipping madly as he tries to find his place again.

"Sir, this is something that has been described as 'hostile' during its study. It has already shown itself to be incredibly difficult to contain, to disastrous results!"

"That is why we were postponing the test." Windsor says calmly.

cont.
>>
>48216609
>Warn him that the facility is dangerous (write in)
So it's, theoretically, a supercharged Slip Drive, if it's the core component of the drive.

Normal void cutters seem limited in the size of their wings to around five hundred kilometers. How much more gigantic could this one extend, given the more powerful source of energy we can provide with the power taps?
>>
>>48216979
So we still need to stop this thing at all costs, right? Or am I missing something?
>>
>>48216979
I don't think Quantum Power Taps are going to do jack shit to them. They can already manipulate space-time very easily and their power rivals that of power taps just from observing the Ceph raiders.
>>
>>48217039
Yep. And I sure as hell don't trust a bunch of dumb marine grunts to do that safely. At best they may decide to blow everything up, which could doom us all.

>>48217030
>Normal void cutters seem limited in the size of their wings to around five hundred kilometers.

Did you mean to say five hundred meters?

If the Ceph void cutters can be five hundred KILOmeters in size they're much larger than I thought...
>>
>>48217109
That's what their power is WITHOUT a power tap.

WITH a power tap, there's a multiplier effect. Something even further beyond.
>>
>>48217136
pure speculation, as well as them getting out if a large enough rift is opened.
Still very bad if corrrect.
>>
>>48217136
>WITH a power tap, there's a multiplier effect. Something even further beyond.
pure speculation. Literally nothing in the quest has even hinted at that.
>>
>>48217200
>it does seem to be capable of augmenting and amplifying other power sources. The math doesn't add up on that, but we've ran enough tests to be sure about it.

It amplifies.

Currently, a slip drive needs a small amount of energy to activate, multiplying that small amount.

With a larger more powerful power source as a base instead of the current system, that can be multiplied further.
>>
>>48217020
Sending a probe through a portal in a pentagram in a project literally called hell to study a hostile and powerful entity.

What could go wrong.
>>
>>48217200
>It requires no power sources, although it does seem to be capable of augmenting and amplifying other power sources.

Anon, with all due respect, you are full of it.
>>
>>48217020
"I'm just saying that I think the dangers-"

"Of course it's dangerous. The damn thing's covered in power taps. Why do you think we built the facility in the single most isolated location in known space?" Gilliam's pencil breaks in his grip.

"I'm not talking about the power taps. If the containment for the artifact fails again, we have no way of knowing what could happen!"

"Based on Emmerich and his team, it should open a rift to slipspace without the need to communicate with the device using the unknown signals it seems to function on. More or less kicking the door open, instead of using the key."

"Exactly, a doorway. Sir, what if something comes through from the other side?" Gilliam asks. Windsor contemplates it for a moment.

"What, more ceph? The marines should be able to handle it. They're not exactly experts in close combat." Windsor seems to think on the matter. "If you'd like, you can sit in and observe. If something does come up, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have someone with your credentials on hand to advise. They should be landing in a few hours." He says. Gilliam nervously leans on his elbows over his desk.

"And how long will it take for the test to finish?"

"The power taps are modified to suit the design, so they'll be brought online slowly. According to our schedule the team should arrive with hours to spare." Windsor says. Gilliam is unconvinced.

>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>Send in a force and deploy to the planet (write in)
>Other (write in)
>>
>>48217311
>Other (write in)
Send in a stealthed fleet but do not interfere yet.
>>
>>48217311
>>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
We can't afford to fuck this up.
>>
>>48217311
Other
Send in a stealth fleet but don't interfere.
>>
>>48217334
>Other (write in)
Send in a stealthed fleet but do not interfere yet.
>>
>>48217334
We gunna be sneaky now mother fuckers.
>>
>>48217311
>>Observe the marines, but do not interfere

>>48217334
There is no nearby star, what can we hide a fleet behind when it blinks in. There is some traffic here. Rare, but present, over these backwater colonies.
>>
>>48217311
>>Send in a force and deploy to the planet (write in)
20 space pods, 10 patrol corvettes and 5 vanguard frigates, but keep them all under stealth for the time being and simply observe the marines.
>>
>>48217311
>Observe and bring a a stealth fleet in.
I really want to say just nuke it from orbit but we can let it finish and then nuke it from orbit.

What's the strongest weapon we have? I want to send that with the stealth fleet
>>
I feel like we should not be in the system at all, Humans are kind of blind to the Tachyon stuff, and the gods need to be seen to see, so maybe if we don't look, they don't see the rift?

On the other hand not seeing wats going on could be fatal.
>>
>>48217311
>>Observe the marines, but do not interfere

>>48217311
>>Other (write in)
Still. Can we send in a backup team now in case they're needed? Murphy's law suggests the first team might not be sufficient.
>>
>>48217311
>Send in a force and deploy to the planet (write in)
Stealthed fleet
>>
>>48217438
By mega-tonnage, I'd say our self destructing space pods are actually the most powerful weapon we've got.
>>
>>48217440
Perhaps add psyonic stealth all the ships with orders to self destruct if they are seen by the dark god.
>>
>>48217311
>Other (write in)
Send a stealthed fleet and move in orbit to be ready to deploy drop pods and forces quickly if necessary.

Be sure to ONLY use drones capable of severing their connection to the queen if necessary during the deployment if we do land troops. Either equip them with self-destruct glands or quantum brains: possibly both. Do not give the void god a direct connection to the queen at all costs.
>>
>>48217311
>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
I'd say send in Lyle, our Doom guy, but i think he's still kinda busted up.
>>
>>48217311
>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>>
>>48217311
Send in a stealth force, kill everyone on board that station, do whatever it takes to keep that machine from running it's course, then gtfo.
>>
>>48217531
Don't forget to kill all the civilian traffic witnesses, just to be sure no one is tainted.
>>
If the union summons the dark god we should have Theseus fund a remake of doom and other demon killing films and games.
>>
>>48217438
Blowing up containment could be the worst thing we could do. Our most powerful researched weapon is the planet cracker (never built due to expense). But that could just create an unstable portal with no means of containment whatsoever.

Do you guys remember when we tried to shut down the quantum tap and almost destroyed the hive way back in the early threads. I think something like that is likely going on here.
>>
>>48217311
>>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>>
>>48217311
>Other (write in)

In addition to sending in the stealth fleets, have our diplomat tell the commonwealth we have just sensed a "disturbance in the force" and that while we are investigating this there is a possibility things could go very bad.
>>
>>48217311
>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>Send in a force to attack the base
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)
>Other

--

>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>Do not
>Other
>>
>>48217652
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>>Send in a force to attack the base
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)


>> Mention it.
>>
>>48217652
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)

>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)
Well, better to be seen than to let an entire planet get dragged into hell.
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>Do not
>>
>>48217652
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)

>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth

The Union may see the flash, but they won't know what it means until our fleet is in position. They may initially think it's related to containment failure.
>>
>>48217652
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>Do not
>>
>>48217652
>>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth
>>
>>48217652
>Attempt to send in cloaked ships and prepare to attack on your order (will be difficult to blink in undetected)
>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth

Please roll 1d100, best of 3 to attempt to blink in a strike force of stealth ships... stealthily. Due to the lack of any star or celestial bodies to hide behind, this will be rather difficult, although you feel you may be able to at least prevent the Union ship itself from detecting you.
>>
>>48217652
>>>Observe the marines, but do not interfere
>>>Have your diplomat drone mention a disturbance to the Commonwealth

This is a good case scenerio here guys.

If the union realizes how dangerous these damn things are maybe they'll fuck off with them already.
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>48217824
FOR MOTHER
>>
Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>48217824
For Mother
>>
Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>48217824
Cmon dice gods
>>
Wait right.

The fact that we could hear the crystal at all indicates containment is failing.

THE ABSOLUTE MADMAN
>>
Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>48217824
FOR MOTHER!
>>
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>>48217866
DEMONIC RITUALS
RIP AND TEAR
>>
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>>48217837
>>48217846
>>48217847

Happening
>>
Why is the Union such a stupid shit?
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>>48217832
>If the union realizes how dangerous these damn things are maybe they'll fuck off with them already.
Haha, yeah, no.
No man in charge can leave the "Can of unlimited power(and possbly evil)" alone.
If only in fear someone else might get to it.
>>
>>48217832
When scientists were testing the atomic bomb some thought there was a good chance it could incinerate the atmosphere. They did it anyway. Fear will not dissuade the ambitious in a time of total war.
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>>48217893
They're high on success, lucky the commonwealth is their opposite.
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>>48217847
Let's fondly recall the last time we blinked in where we were visible, before I wrote in the idea for blinking in a lightday away that has become our SOP.

>QuestDrone !!tu02dh0DlTY Mon 28 Jul 2014 01:18:58 No.>>33714616
>Your second pod quickly makes its way into the Koenig system. As the pod enters the system you quickly cloak, but just ahead of your pod, several light-seconds away is a large ship, covered in various weapon placements and surrounded by a small wing of fighters. Nearby is a vast gas giant covered in small interconnected stations, all linked to a large dock yard.
>"Calpamos Station, this is Hadeki, we're reading an energy spike around three five five, can you confirm?"
>"Roger that Hadeki. You sure it's not a supernova?"
>"It looked to close for that. Did you pick anything up?"
>"Ah, negative Hadeki, our sensors are down for maintenance at the moment. Increased solar activity today, you sure it isn't a flair?"
>"Roger that, we'll run a diagnostic and get back to you."
>>
>>48217893
Because they came into existence out of a violent rebellion against oppressive overlords, and thus have an instinctive distrust of higher authorities and a general opinion of "fuck you I do what I want" when things don't go their way, regardless of whether it's actually a good idea.

Y'know, like Americans.
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>>48217905
All the more reason to discourage this stupid inter human conflict.
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>>48217935
Notice that there's no fucking sun in Nowhere.
>>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7RplLy9D5c
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>>48217964
But there is a massive amount of interference coming from the station itself.
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>>48217885
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjIVkl34Vig
>>
Some easy listening for the thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFK0yG8xG5I

>>48217995
It's not massive. Otherwise any five ships together would also be 'massive'. Nothing compared to a star.
>>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-7rVdXXwds

More thematic music. Those poor, poor marines.
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>>48218000
Well now, if we're posting DOOM tracks, have my personal favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MiGPQleXw
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>>48218089
Ahem.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsfjHCFosw

No need to fuck with the classics, buddy.
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>>48217824
Admiral Yogesh stands proudly over the holographic displays showing his fleet as it assembles according to his orders. He grips the ceremonial dagger at his side with pride.

"Our forces have engaged the alien fleets already in Winsor, Godard, and Tiberion, as well as several deep space patrols falling under attack while running scans through deep space. From the attacks, we believe they may have a way to detect ships while moving faster than light, although we cannot tell if it is due to their sensors, or their FTL technology." He says as he points out various locations on the display. "We have been able to narrow down their probably point of origin, and with your intelligence offered against them, we've been able to begin plans for a scouting mission in an effort to gauge their fleet strength and abilities. I've ordered a number of small excursions to outlying systems in an effort to bait them into spreading their fleet further, allowing us to-" He stops his long winded explanation as he looks curiously at your diplomat. Your drone's antennae shiver as it falters slightly on its hind legs, lowering its stance. "Is something wrong? We can adjust the atmosphere if you-"

"No." Your drone says. "There is something wrong. Elsewhere."

>Explain the basics of void shards
>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
>Say something vague, blame the Union, and change the subject back to fleet strategy.
>Other
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>>48218249
>>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
>>
Remember to start Q-com miniaturization research with Theseus.
>>
>>48218023
The point is the station apparently can't receive messages right now, and that's enough interference for us.
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>>48218249
>>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
>>
>>48218249
>>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
>>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmSbRDfgWpI

This is my go-to track for freaky scary space demons that want to eat you. Fits the crystals great.
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>>48218249
>>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
I was hoping we'd get a word in with Magnus or Weiss, this guy doesn't have the ships to help us out right now.
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>>48218249
>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship

"It's a threat..."
>>
>>48218249
>Say something vague, blame the Union, and change the subject back to fleet strategy.
entice
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>>48218249
>Say something vague, blame the Union, and change the subject back to fleet strategy.
>Explain the basics of void shards.
Or at lest that they are dangerous and that the union probably smashed a rock against it and called it "Experimentation."
>>
>>48218249
>>Explain the basics of void shards
>>
>>48218249
>Explain the basics of void shards
>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
"The Union have broken a Ceph shard. They know not what they have done. The echoes of its shattering shall resound through eternity, and unto those which are beyond."
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>>48218249
>Say something vague, blame the Union, and change the subject back to fleet strategy.
>>
>>48218249
>Explain the basics of void shards
The Union is messing with forces that are beyond its control. Beyond our control. The Ceph's black shards aren't just shards. They're hostile to all forms of life. Enslaved the Ceph. Enslaved the Skyr. Enslaved about 1/3 of us. Now it seems they might be able to reach humanity.
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>>48218249
>>Explain the basics of void shards
>blame the Union

And by "basics" I mean enough for him to figure out that they're hostile and extra-alien, but not things about psionics.
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>>48218311
Anon, Nowhere is 27 lightyears away.

We were NEVER going to be able to get Commonwealth aid in time no matter how many ships to spare they had. It takes half a day to reach there.
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>>48218249
>Explain the basics of void shards
>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
While we're talking, have the ship power weapons and shields, but only those facing in the direction of Nowhere.
>>
>>48218262
>>48218299
>>48218304
>And make sure to go back to fleet strategy right after.
>"The hive has sensed humans dealing with the Great Enslaver. We hear it laugh. The hive needs a moment to confer. These humans were wise to give the hive the shard. It cannot control what it cannot see."
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>>48218249
>>Explain the basics of void shards
>>
>>48218249
>Hitting bump limit already
Second thread QD?
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>>48218249
>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
>>
>>48218249
>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
>>
>>48218249
Explain the very basics of void shards, be straight with them. Now is not the time to play games. Do whatever it takes to get them to help us shut that station down.
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>>48218388
There is plenty of time left until this thread falls off. Hours worth.
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>>48218249
>>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
>>
>>48218249
>>Explain the basics of void shards
>>Say something vague, blame the Union, and change the subject back to fleet strategy.
>>
>>48218249
>Say something vague, blame the Union, and change the subject back to fleet strategy
You my not need to worry about the union soon that's all
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>>48218249
>>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship

Although maybe we might want to be vague, knowing a location and species. That it's humans outside the Commonwealth borders doing it, in that rimward nebula.
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>>48218249
>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it and pretend to converse with others in the docked ship
>>48218343
This is good. Vague but not too vague.
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>>48218440
m8 the system is just as close to the commonwealth as it is to the union
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>>48218249
>>Say something ominous and vaguely spiritual before blaming the Union for it.
No need to pretend to converse with those on the ship.

However, we SHOULD mention that if our suspicious are correct, this could be the start of an extinction level event on a sector wide scale. Mention that such extinctions have happened before, possibly multiple times.
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>>48218462
>This is good.
Really? It sounds full retard to me.
>>
Doesn't a void shard have no mass.

How can it be affected by gravitics?
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>>48218479
Actually, changing my vote towards:
>Explain the basics of void shards
But be sure to blame the Union somewhere in there.
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>>48218496
Photons don't have mass either, and they're affected by gravitics.
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>>48218496
I doubt it truly has no mass. Think of it as a thing you can never accurately measure, that also serves as a palantir for some horrifying creature(s) beyond spacetime.
They were described as fingers of.. whatever made them.
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>>48218249
"There is... a disturbance. The Union continue their experiments." Your drone says. "They do not know with what they meddle."

"The Union? How are you... what experiments?" Yogesh says, his hand gripping his dagger more tightly. "I don't understand."

"And you should thank your ignorance. It works well to save us all." Your drone replies, and it quickly turns, shaking its head in pain. "The Hive must deliberate on these pressing matters. Their arrogance places us all in grave danger."

The admiral almost moves to follow your drone, but stops just short as he is left behind in the war room.

Cont.
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>>48218528
>"The Hive must deliberate on these pressing matters. Their arrogance places us all in grave danger."
Red Queen is such a troll
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>>48218528
Oh boy it's finally happening
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>>48218631
More like a Drama Queen
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>>48218631
It's really not the time to be trolling.
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>>48218632
>>48218647

At the end of all this (maybe when the hive ship is finished) we should just blink a massive overwhelming fleet to Gemini and tell the Union to fuck right off.
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>>48218674
It's always the time for shitpo- I mean for trolling. It's not like the dude could do anything right now, so it doesn't matter.
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>>48218647
>>48218674
>>48218694
We should consider striking the Scav forces after this, just so the Commonwealth don't think we're flakes.
We can say it was stress relief.
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>>48218694
>>48218674

Eh, I said we probably shouldn't have made up that bullshit about the hive needing to "confer" about this as I didn't see it as adding any benefit to us but, whatever, we have more important fish (or squid) to fry.
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>>48218692
Agreed, if only to see the look on Killinger's face.
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>>48218726
Hey, even if they learn about how the hive works "conferring" is still plausible, since we can do it with our allies.
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>>48218716
It's not like we're baking out of helping them we just don't have a speaker there
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>>48218743
Speaking of allies, we should tell Theseus and Heretic about this
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>>48218716
Did we decide to add the rip drive to the hive ship instead of a blink drive? We can have it head over to the Commonwealth "tomorrow" and offer to allow it to make a massive joint surprise attack on the main Scav fleet. The Commonwealth will be delighted (probably) to be able to make an attack without giving the Scavs forewarning.
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>>48218729
>giant-ass alien fleet warps in from bumfuck nowhere
>the weapons on its largest ships are visibly pointed at the main government area
>a bunch of smaller vessels keep skirting the planets' gravity, their formation spelling out FUCK YOU KILLINGER
>>
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>>48218674
It is never not time to toy with the humans.

They can't help anyway. This will just ensure, if things go haywire, they can look back and say "Space Ron Paul was right!"
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>>48218773
Yeah, we probably should.

>>48218528
>>
>>48218726
>>48218743
Considering the risks, Theseus or Heretic might be willing to help us out, if we need to go in and attempt to either destroy or capture the artifact.

>>48218776
I thought Canderon drives didn't give forewarning?
Either way, we can just send them ahead, and blink in when they're supposed to arrive. Bam, joint attack.
A joint attack is a good idea, no matter how we do it.
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>>48218791
If they could help, we certainly aren't making it any easier for them to do so.
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>>48218776
Did you read my mind
I wanted to post the same message but was too lazy to do so
pls no recycle
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>>48218789
I keked.

>>48218806
I thought Canderon drives didn't give forewarning either. However, the Admiral just said:

>"From the attacks, we believe they may have a way to detect ships while moving faster than light, although we cannot tell if it is due to their sensors, or their FTL technology."

Maybe I misunderstood him, however. On a second reading it could be that the Scav ships can detect human ships when the Scavs are in FTL rather the Scav's being able to detect human ships when the humans are in FTL.
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>>48218796
We really need to have pow wow with both the Unity and Heretic and seriously discuss strategic matters.
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>>48218823
We know for a fact that they can't. No one without an instantaneous means of travel can. So that's irrelevant.
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>>48218839
Even if we don't need backup, we should still keep them up to date on Things That Might End The World.

It's only polite.
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>>48218861
I's suprising how much we talk about going to another level of cooperation with those two yet not doing any of the sort. How long has this been going on, like 4~5 sessions? We need moke up our mind.
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>>48218528
In the blackness of Nowhere's empty space, shimmering in the faint energy of the surrounding nebula, a number of bursts of intense radiation flash in the darkness. Your ships quickly wrap themselves in a cloak of twisted light and they begin to slowly move in on the shadow covered world. You can't be certain if you were detected or not, but at the very least, nobody has made it known they noticed you. The marine ship continues a steady laser comm stream to the structure below, encrypted in layers of cyphers, although you can guess the contents without much effort. The transmission remains unanswered.

A moment later, the various relays involved creating the slightest of delays, as Gilliam watches the ship close in on the facility.

"We picked up something on the long range sensors. Low resolution scans have some radiation source." Someone says over a radio.

"Still there?"

"No, no it was just for a moment."

"Who last tuned those sensors?"

"They were calibrated just last week. Can't be a fault in the equipment." There is a long pause. Gilliam looks concerned at the screen.

"What's happening? Is that normal?" He ask. Windsor cuts him off with a hush, then speaks up himself.

"There's no way you can pick up a cloak wake in that soup. if-"

"Negative, negative. It's not a slipdrive. Scanners showed a short pulse, like a discharge. It's gone now, probably the nebula. Thing's a thunderstorm lightyears across."

"Roger." Windsor says cautiously. "Keep an eye out though."

"Confirmed. We'll keep a close watch. We're not getting any response from the facility. No docking clearance either. Permission to launch a landing party."

"Granted."

cont.
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>>48218877
They're things Heretic in particular is highly interested in, so it only makes sense.
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>>48218877
If this threat could only end the world things would not be nearly as dire as they are...
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>>48218773
>>48218796
>>48218861
Do you know how much the quest would slow down just to talk about the obvious?

We know this is bad news, now either the marines shut this reactor down or a squad of drones do. Spending the thread talking to people takes a backseat, our thread time is finite.
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>>48218915
Where's the rush, anon? We can spend as much time as we like on this. Talking to people isn't wasted time, it's the meat of the quest.
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>>48218915
Remember the last time we tried to shut down a power tap? Shutting down the reactor (or the experiment), may destroy any remaining containment preventing the void from coming across.
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>>48218895
Surprised we didn't manage to make it to the far side of the planet from the Union ship.
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>>48218858
No you're probably right. I am just being a derp.
In that case, we could use the humans as a distraction. They warp in, scavs get ready to receive them, and then we hit them from the direction they're not prepared for. Ideally a little bit before the humans arrive, so they're in disarray (and aiming at us) when our greatest allies come out of FTL.

As for the void artifacts...
>>48218895
>no response from facility
Time for us to be prepared.
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>>48218877
This won't really end the world. It's bad but not that bad.

It might make the enemy more powerful in future encounters.
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>>48219007
The real danger is that it might stir the crystals to action we don't what them to be paying to much attention to what's going on till were ready
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>>48219007
Oh? And what happened the last time the void entered our universe WITHOUT a power up?
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>>48219049
Obviously the universe ended, because it isn't here anymore.

Wait, that doesn't make any sense...
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>>48218895
It occurs to me that we probably want another speaker with moderate relay on it on this mission, in case the marines fail.

Emmerich will be mad. But if we can get close enough we can use psionic imprinting to try and push at his mind and make him agree to shut it down.
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>>48219102
NO. DO NOT USE PSIONICS ON AN INDIVIDUAL CORRUPTED BY THE VOID GOD!
NO NO NO NO NO!
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>>48219072
No, only almost every intelligent creature in the universe got annihilated.
>>
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>>48219120
>Trying to befriend the void god
>Implying that's a bad idea
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>>48219174
[citation needed]
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>>48218915
Well, obviously we need to address the fact that Kinllinger is building a literal hellgate in Valen space, but while we're at it we should trade tech and come to a consensus on our overall geopolitical strategy as an alliance.
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>>48218895
A shuttle separates from the ship, and begins to descend on the planet as the ship itself enters geosynchronous orbit over the facility. The shuttle moves in to dock, still broadcasting its hail to the research base, until it lands in one of the upper platforms.

"Command, we're getting some odd readings. The sonic fence seems to be a bit weak, at least from here. Hard to tell at this distance."

"Roger that ground team. We are observing your position. Please advise, we are detecting several odd, uh, shapes not far past the fence. Please confirm." The voice is calm, but concerned. The camera from the ship zooms in on a jagged cliff. Something sits perched along the ledge, first you assume it as just another outcropping of rock, but it is emitting heat, and quite a bit of it. The figure becomes clearer as one of the ground team members scans the horizon, finding the figure in question. It has no face, nothing you could reasonably call one at any rate, yet you get the very distinct impression that its eyeless gaze is focused quite attentively at the facility. It stands in a motionless vigil, easily seventy meters in height, squat over innumerable outstretched grotesque arms like a curled up spider. Tendrils whip at the mostly airless surface, clearly some manner of sense organ, haphazardly placed like half-meter thick hairs twenty meters long each, whipping randomly through the air as if tossed about by some nonexistent windstorm. The whirling strands of stringy flesh is the only sign the creature is not a statue, until you find its mouth.

A furnace of teeth, covered in claws and perfectly still as they reach out, as if beckoning the inhabitants of the facility to shut off the fence, are briefly illuminated by a glow of deep red. Its mouth, or mouths, cover the front of its body as the stone-like flesh contracts around each orifice to seemingly preserve its heat, sealing each dully glowing mouth tightly.

cont.
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>>48219211
KILL IT, KILL IT NOW
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>>48219211
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>>48219211
>Top secret experiment
>In a pyramid
>On a sunless planet
>With volcanic lithovores, the most primitive and alien form of complex life, staring enraptured at it.
If those marines aren't shitting themselves yet, they should be.
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>>48219211
"LYLE, GET YOUR GUNS YOU HAVE DEMONS TO KILL!"
>>
>>48219049
>>48219174
Are you stupid?

This has nothing to do with 'entering' the universe. They are already here.

That silvery monstrosity was eating a planet, possibly to recover from the damage the White Queen did to it, some weeks ago. They're not really totally 'outside' the universe regardless of what happens here.

In the worst case scenario, the enemy consumes the dwarf planet and starts paying more attention to humans than just the raids.
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>>48219296
Whe hit ze bump limit nd gar on page 7
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>>48219211
Something tells me those marines are going to need backup...
>>
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>>48219324
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>>48219211
"Yea, that's uh... command, what is that?"

"The reason the sonic fence is kept up. You may want to check on the fence's status."

"With pleasure, command." With that, the marines move to the door as the silent creature on the ridge continues its vigil.

"Door's locked. It won't respond to any codes, and I'm still not getting a response from inside. We're cutting through. Pass the torch."

You watch through Gilliam's eyes as the marines slowly cut open the door to the airlock. Once inside, they quickly set up a portable temporary seal, a collection of durable plastic flaps and auto-sealing rubber tubes that form a temporary airlock as they cut through the second door. As they open the door with a hiss, you see the lights are out, and the air pressure is unusually low.

"Command, I'm not seeing any damage here. Maybe a break in the power somewhere else."

"Squad one, secure the command center and find out what's going on." You hear from the ship's commander. "Squad two, get the power back up. Three, you're on sonic fence detail."

"Roger that. You heard that man!"

You watch as the marines file out through the darkened halls further into the facility. One group continues in, to the center where the command center is. The others move along the outer edge in search of a way down, to the power and life support systems. They find a defunct elevator, quickly scaling the shaft with cables as they repel down.

"Sir, the atmosphere is way too low here. We're still not picking up any damage though."

Cont.
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>>48219562
Whelp Squad One is dead.
>>
>>48219562
The atmosphere is too low because it's been sucked through the portal and into the void. Containment has already been breached in one direction. It may be only a matter of time before mad scientists and whatever corruption that permeates this place destroys containment altogether.
>>
Can we give our drones human level intelligence?
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>>48219562
How many people were supposed to be manning this place?
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>>48219672
Quantum brains are all we need.
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>>48219672
I think so, but then they'd be called Chimeras or Hybrids. I don't think it's possible for some reason (maybe the funky human genetic code?) at this time to make individual drones fully human capable (unless drones with quantum brains count).
>>
>>48219672
I'm pretty sure our drones have above human intelligence they just don't have human levels of self awareness
>>
>>48219609
Not just yet. First squad 2 needs to turn the lights on.
That's when the screens in the command center will light up, showing them how fucked they really are.
>>
>>48219562
I wonder what the DC is for these marines when they roll to not die.

Maybe they'll crit.
>>
>>48219562
"Could it have been caused by a power surge?" You hear someone ask from the ground team to mixed answers. Windsor looks to Gilliam.

"At this point, nothing should be ruled out." He replies. There is a sudden burst of gunshots that nearly sends Gilliam and Windsor both out of their desks.

"What was that?"
"Check your fire!"
"Who's shooting?"
"God damnit, report, report!"

"We... I have a misfire on my team, strike lead."

"Say again."

"A misfire." You hear someone shouting in the background as the marine repeats himself flatly. Someone is yelling, something about a voice down the hall. "Someone had a weapon malfunction is all. Fired a few rounds into a wall."

"Well check your weapons! There are non-combatants in that facility!"

"Right." The marine replies. "No sign of any of them yet." Gilliam looks to Windsor.

"How many people worked there?" He asks. Windsor glances at him, and then clicks a button on his console.

"Well watch your fire all the same. There's supposed to be over three hundred in that facility, including maintenance." He says.

Your ships watch from above, the bulk of the small fleet entering a parking orbit around the human vessel.The gravitational disturbances are only increasing, gradually and steadily, accompanied by that monotone, mechanical mental signal.

>Continue to observe
>Have your drones begin landing in the facility
>Have your ships uncloak and make contact (write in)
>Other (write in)
>>
Wait a minute.

Do we not have sonic fence technology?

How does that even work? it's a forcefield made of air?

>>48219765
>the marine repeats himself flatly.
He's compromised.

>>48219765
>>Continue to observe
>>
>Have your ships uncloak and make contact (write in)
We are the Hive. We have sensed the Black Crystals, and are here to contain it. Cooperate with us or step aside humans.
>>
>>48219765
>>Have your drones begin landing in the facility
Deploy our warriors onto the planet stealthfully using space pods and have them locate an entrance into the facility the ship does not have eyes on currently.
>>
>>48219765
>Continue to observe.
>Other.
Have a ship take some samples of the local wildlife, since it will probably be enslaved.
>>
>>48219806
Or they could carve an entrance on the far side.
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>>48219765
>Have your drones begin landing in the facility
>Other have our ships prepare to glass the planet if we have to
>>
>>48219765
>have your drones begin landing in the facility
We'll need to sneak in, I imagine.
>>
>>48219765
>>Other (write in)
Gaze into one of the void shards we have in the hive to find out what's really happening inside the facility!
>>
>>48219765
>>Have your drones begin landing in the facility
>>
>>48219765
We didn't specifically pick the loadout of drones.

But I would hope they contain a few with Moderate psionic relay, since we didn't get a chance to pick.
>>
>>48219765
>prepare to loot everything, especially the wildelife.
>>
>48215095
>and the astounding speed with which they can infest a starship gives your thinkers dastardly ideas of their own.

I wonder if they can shorten the speed of cloning projects to 4 or 3 days with this.
>>
>>48219765
>Have your drones begin landing in the facility
>Have your ships uncloak and make contact (write in)

The marine leader is already compromised and the situation (with gravitational interference) is rapidly deteriorating.

When we decloak say this: "The experiment at this facility threatens to exterminate every sentient species in this section of the galaxy. Your surface team is already compromised. We are taking over this operation. Leave immediately. Diplomatic communication will commence if the situation can be stabilized.

Do not attempt to recover your warriors. They are already lost.

Leave or be destroyed. Resistance is Futile.
>>
>>48219765
Adding

>Loot the wildlife

to>>48219855
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>>48219873
Eh, I really want to send mostly drones that we can either self-destruct or can operate independently (quantum brain) by shutting down psionics. If "blind" humans are already falling to the void hive soldiers are quite possibly at even greater risk.
>>
>>48219904
>When we decloak say this
No, don't say this. Don't say anything, keep it stealth.
Have our warriors sneak in and pick them off if we have to. We need to secure this thing.
>>
>>48219923
Neither of those are mutually exclusive.
>>
>>48219923
We can just have a space pod cloaked nearby ready to fly in and blow the entire facility to radioactive dust if need be.
>>
>>48219923
Moderate relays allow sensing of the location of all nearby sentient beings. It'll become impossible to ambush us even from 250 meters away.
>>
>>48219873
They consist of a large number of mandy different combat and non-combat drones that are suitable for the local environment. Mostly warriors, wasps, and heavy warriors as those are the mainstay of your ground forces, especially in confined areas, but they also include workers, a few speakers, and any other drone you have a design for.

>>48219838
I like the way you think.

Should you begin landing your drones, you will need to abandon stealth. The marine transport is holding position directly above the facility and is maintaining a watchful eye over it.

Just to clarify, since there did seem to be some confusion over that.

>Begin dropping your forces to the facility
>Do not
>>
>>48219970
>>Begin dropping your forces to the facility
>>Loot the wildlife
>>
>>48219970
>>Do not
I want to see what we're dealing with here first.
>>
>>48219970
But can we drop them without revealing the ships we have cloaked nearby?
>>
>>48219970
>Begin dropping your forces to the facility
>Loot the wildlife
>>
>Do not
>>
>Begin dropping your forces to the facility
>Make Contact
We are the Hive. The Black Crystal has breached containment. Cooperate or step aside.
>>
>>48219970
Well good thing we added the relay to speakers then.

>Do not
>>
>>48219970
>Begin dropping your forces to the facility
>>
>>48219970
>begin dropping your forces to the facility
>send a message to the transport:
>"Move and be destroyed. Fire on us and be destroyed. What you seek is already loose. Step aside, and allow us to fight our war ourselves."
>>
>>48219989
Launching drop pods would entail breaking stealth. That's the nature of a cloak.
>>
>>48219970
>Do not.
Can't we send a ship to the other side of the planet to loot?
>Loot wildlife.
If we break stealth, when the union finds us we should just tell them"Removing corruption" when they try to communicate.
>>
>>48220014
Changing >>48219998 to
>"Move and be destroyed. Fire on us and be destroyed. What you seek is already loose. Step aside, and allow us to fight our war ourselves."
>>
>>48219970
Hey, can we please include ghost beetles? They're good at stealth and have quantum brains. They may be ideal for this kind of mission.


>Begin dropping your forces to the facility
>Have a single cloaked corvette loot the wildlife. (they may not be around much longer...)
>>
>>48219970
Do not
>>
>>48220031
Thier's no need to talk to them they only have one ship in orbit
>>
>>48219970
>>Do not
>>
>>48219970
>>Open fire on the ship and attempt to destroy it
If we're going in loud, I want to take these guys out. They're not going to believe our peaceful intentions when we start cutting down their possesed soldiers.
>>Begin dropping your forces to the facility
>>
>>48220014
You know what, we've been dancing around stealth for too long.
>seconded
>loot the wildelife
We're gonna need to pick a human rep.
>>
>>48219970
>Do not
No need to right now anyway
>>
>>48219970
Destroy the Union ship. This is a Hive matter now
>>
>>48220047
>>Have a single cloaked corvette loot the wildlife. (they may not be around much longer...)
I think you're seriously overestimating how quickly void crystals can take over and destroy a world.
>>
>>48220047
Oh yeah, I also want to make contact by messaging the Union and telling them to back off. They do not understand, but they could ruin all if they remain.
>>
>>48220075
This. There is no way they're going to talk peacefully with us when shit goes down.
>>
>>48219970
Blow up the ship. Cut Gilliam's feed.

Sever the quantum relay! Cloaked pod, do your stuff.

No witnesses. They are already lost.
>>
>>48219970
>Do not
>>
>>48219970
Blow up the ship before they can interfere like the fools they are.
>>
>>48219970
Start landing troops. Tell the human ship that this matter is beyond their control and that if they interfere in any way they will be destroyed. Say their stupidity may doom us all and now we have to clean up their mess.

However, do not destroy the human ship. They are still relaying comms for the marines and the intel they can provide may be essential to our drones.
>>
If we're gonna cut the feed we should send them a vague message like "Corruption detected" before destroying the ship so windsor is properly spooked.
>>
>>48220146
That's no good, that would mean showing up on their sensors in order to tell them that.

A nice sudden feed going dead is sinister enough.
>>
>>48220146
Agreed. Something like "Corruption detected. Removing existential threat"

I still think we should probably warn the human ship off before blasting, though.
>>
>>48220169
But we're gonna show up on their sensors anyway if we attack, so might as well profit from this.
>>
>>48220172
If we gonna do this we might ass well just nuke the site from orbit void crystals seem to be pretty much indestructible
>>
>>48220172
>>48220146
I'm liking where this is going.
>>
I didn't expect our encounter with union to start off like this
>>
>>48220187
We won't.

We didn't show up on the Mirage's sensors when we blew it up. A nuclear explosion obliterates the FTLComm and the sensors alike too fast.
>>
This is gonna need another vote isn't it.
>>
>>48220188
I'm just suggesting in case.
>Begin dropping your forces to the facility.
Or any other option that breaks stealth wins.
>>
>>48219970
>Do not. (for now at least, this is way too close)

"Command. I'm getting reports of HUD malfunctions, can you confirm?"

"HUD malfunctions? In what way?"

"We're getting false readings. Clicks on the motion tracker that's not there. False heat signatures. They only seem to last a second or two."

"Negative, ground team. We're not picking up any issues on our end. We've got a perfectly clear signal."

"Right. Must be an issue with the display." He says.

"Fuck! You see that?"
"Goddamnit! What? There's nothing on thermal."
"Son of a bitch."

"Wait! I think I found someone." Someone says over the radio. Windsor leans in.
"We found the power station. Holy shit, uh, no damage to the facility, command, but, we have bodies."

"Say again?"

"At least six."

"At least?"

"Yea. They didn't suffocate. It looks like... like they ate each other."

There is a long silence as a helmet camera pans slowly over a grisly scene.

"Roger, squad." Someone says. "See if you... can get the power back up."

"Right. Pete, help me with these bodies. Adam, on the console."
>>
>>48220252
Can't wait for the necromorphs to attack
>>
>>48220252
For the too slow at home.

>>41919584
>A potent defensive measure, the nausea field is a simple and effective method of affecting the mind of non-psionic life without a direct physical connection using a medium or advanced relay. At a range of 50 meters, you can target any detected individual or group of individuals and attempt to cause a growing feeling of discomfort. The mind of the subject may fill in excuses or reasons for the feeling, potentially leading to the sensation of being watched, hallucinations of movement in darkened areas, and other such delusions and hallucinations. These symptoms are not controlled or caused by the emitted signal, but are created by the subject’s mind in an attempt to make sense of the sudden sensation of panic and unease. The result is the subject feels compelled to leave the area, and will gradually become sick and panicked if they remain within the area of effect for long. Prolonged exposure or exposure at a distance of 10 meters or less causes acute nausea, vomiting, and headaches.
>>
>>48220252
Okay, NOW we go in guns hot.
>>
>>48220188
I thinking nuking the site from orbit (I've said this repeatedly) may be the WORST thing we can do.

QD said already that if containment completely fails that:
"Based on Emmerich and his team, it should open a rift to slipspace without the need to communicate with the device using the unknown signals it seems to function on. More or less kicking the door open, instead of using the key."

In other words, right now the Union has unlocked the door to oblivion in their failing containment, but it could still be locked shut again.

If we nuke the facility we're essentially "kicking down" the door that keeps the void god out. It'll doom the planet, if the Union ever finds out they'll blame us more than ever, and it could cripple us.

We need to stop the experiment, kill the corrupted, and seize the shards. We do not destroy the only thing that may be keeping hell at bay. It looks really bad if we tell the Union they have no idea what's going on, and then we make the situation exponentially worse.
>>
>>48220252
>"Yea. They didn't suffocate. It looks like... like they ate each other."
I wasn't expecting zombies.
>>
>>48220252
Live stream this to Theseus, makes a good message about the danger of void crystals.
>>
>>48220252
QD, is it possible to deploy stealth drones, like beetles and flies, independently from low orbit? Could they survive undetected potentially.
>>
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>>48220252
I know you're gonna hate me for this, but I'm going to need to cut things a bit short tonight since I have work in the morning. I will try to get a mid-week thread up, probably tuesday or thursday and finish up this unfortunate cliffhanger here.

I'll stick around for a bit for any questions, comments, feedback, or crunch votes and the like.

As well as discussing the merits and drawbacks of nuking it from orbit in order to be sure.
>>
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>>48220288
The best part is we'll be able to do this to people someday along the Psionic Imprinting tree!

And assume direct control like the compromised guy too it seems.
>>
>>48220299
CLIFFHANGER
Thanks for the thread anyway QD
>>
>>48220299
At what hour will the mid-week threads be?
>>
>>48220299
I'm actually relieved that now I don't have to stay up all night to keep things from blowing up again.
>>
>>48220299
NOOOOO-
Well, thanks for running man, hope I catch the follow up thread.
>>
>>48220299
Infrasructure and building stuff pls
>>
>>48220331
Really dude? C'mon, you're not the sole enlightened anon capable of making decisions in this quest.
>>
>>48220299
If we send a ship to the other side of the planet, or as far away from the station will it not be detected?
>>
>>48220327
It's always the same time.

>>48220299
Also ha, good thing >Do Not won by default.

It lets them see more of the mental effects. They already saw how tachyon exposure drove those test subjects insanely violent or catatonic. Now they see more complicated versions of that.
>>
>>48220355
I never said that.
>>
>>48220357
I just want to be sure.
>>
>>48220357
The problem is whatever caused this is still growing down there. The gravitational and psionic distortions are getting steadily more and more intense. If we don't act very soon we may loose our chance to do so before the crystals explode into real space.
>>
>>48220299
So wait, how large is the facility? And how many meters is it from where squad two should be to where squad one was headed?
>>
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>>48220327
Probably the usual time of 7pm eastern. It's just an all-round convenient time for me, regardless of the day.

Unless there was a specific time you wanted to request? I know there are a few people who always miss it.

>>48220356
Well, technically, although there are other settlements on the planet. (Mostly pirate bases, honestly) so no guarantees you won't be spotted by one of them, and your shuttles would still need to come around to land at the research facility.

>>48220334
Well, there is almost overwhelming support for building capillary towers, however I was unable to get a good consensus on how many and where.
>>
>>48220406
Capillary towers

>4 on Farcast

>1 on Leeland

We should have one on Leeland already, but it wasn't on the crunch posts in the start of the thread.
>>
>>48220299
Soooooo, QD, what are the merits and drawbacks of nuking it from orbit in order to be sure?

Also, is there any chance we can have an emergency conference with Heretic and Theseus? Heretic in particular has more experience with void crystal containment than we do, and witnessing this colossal fuckup could swing him even more to our side if it comes to war with the Union.
>>
>>48220406
Don't care about the time, if you could do it at Thursday that would be great.
>>
>>48220422
I will support this vote.

>>48220429
I also would like to know more about some of the implications of nuking the site from orbit.
>>
>>48220406
>4 on Farcast.
>>
>>48220422
>>48220444
No possible way to know since we don't know shit about the void shards, intentionally.
>>
>>48220429
>Heretic in particular has more experience with void crystal containment

When did he ever contain a crystal?
>>
>>48220458
I was thinking more along the lines of the likely military/political response to the nuking from the Union and possibly the Valen. QD is good at describing that sort of stuff.
>>
>>48220475
Well, he was made from an engram of a lot of different syl minds. They've probably got SOME knowledge on it.
>>
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>>48220429
>What are the merits and drawbacks of nuking it from orbit

But if I just told you, there wouldn't be much left to discuss.
>>
>>48220497
They obviously have none, seeing as how the Skyle never invented tachyonic insulators.

WE have more knowledge of containment than they ever did.
>>
>>48220512
QD, shiggies aside


Capillary towers, why not in crunch posts?
>>
>>48220475
He didn't but the Skyal did. He knows how they were corrupted, and knows the history of what they had to do to free themselves. He may be able to tell us if the portal can be closed with a nuke, or if it requires specialized equipment, or modifications at this point will just make things worse.

He was privy to the original details of project Godkiller, remember. We, sadly, do not have "clearance" for that data. But we may need it now.
>>
>>48220422
>Build 1 Capillary tower on Leeland (just to confirm)
>Build more (write in)

>Build 4 on Farcast
>Do not
>Other

And there was some limited talk of building some on Leeland, although it seemed to have less support.
>>
>>48220533
>He didn't but the Skyal did.
When did the Skyl ever contain a crystal?

Literally all they ever did was bombard one.
>>
>>48220543
>>Build 4 on Farcast
>>
>>48220543
>Build 4 on Farcast
I have no idea of what building max capillary towers in leeland will cause to the wildlife, so i will abstain from voting.
>>
>>48220543
>>Build 1 Capillary tower on Leeland (just to confirm)
>>Build 4 on Farcast
>>
>>48220543
>>Build 1 Capillary tower on Leeland (just to confirm)
Just one there, don't want to screw up the environment.

>Build 4 on Farcast
>>
>>48220531
Honestly, because between me loosing a full day's worth of crunch work and map charting, and another day of getting the computer working again, I was a bit pressed for time and the votes were all over the place, so I figured I'd just ask for a vote here just to be extra sure and just count the construction projects as starting retroactively.

Sorry. The week's been a bit hectic. I was able to get Sol, Lanway, and Nowhere mapped out in the pastebin, but I am ashamed to say I'm still churning away at that.
>>
>>48220571
It would bring the count to 2 and it shouldn't be TOO bad, I could be wrong.
>>
>>48220533
>He was privy to the original details of project Godkiller
There is no indication he actually knows the blueprints for that.

>We, sadly, do not have "clearance" for that data. But we may need it now.

You made that up.

He demanded that we facilitate its research and mass production.

Something that is a terrible idea.
>>
>>48220588
Hey man thanks for posting those systems, and thanks for making the effort to get the others done. I really appreciate the amount of effort you put into this quest, it's what makes it so special.
>>
>>48220588
No, I mean the first one we ever made wasn't there. Not the new ones we voted on.
>>
>>48220613
This


1000000 times
>>
>>48220512
Okay, I'll bite. I'm of the opinion that a nuke would do fuckall to destroy the void-shard.

Best case scenario: it destroys the 5 power taps and the resultant black holes destroy the portal and kill anything corrupted.

Worst case scenario: It destroys the spinal taps and any remaining vestiges of containment. There is now no way to close the fully open portal to the void god. It comes through rapidly, massively gaining power from the black-holes and deteriorating containment, and consumes the planet. It looks to the Union like we deliberately destroyed containment and they now view us as implacable enemies and allies/agents of the void god.

Worstest case scenario. The above worst case scenario happens, but it also latches onto the minds of the hive ships and relays of our ships. It then either corrupts the Red Queen directly, moves to attack Leeland itself, or orders the ceph and OQ to directly attack Leeland when we are not prepared.

Thoughts anyone?
>>
>>48220588
>I was able to get Sol,
Right.
>>48220588
>Lanway, and Nowhere mapped out in the pastebin,

Wait what? When? I swore I checked before. Apparently not recently enough.
>>
>>48220630
They're in there, use ctrl+f if you're having trouble.
>>
I just calculated the cost of terraforming Farcast and it costs 1,270,000 metals and nutrients, can we hold a vote on it?
>>
>>48220665
Not as much as I thought honestly.

Sure fuck it.
>>
>>48220665
A worthwhile investment, I'd support it.
>>
>>48220665
>>48220677
No.

What the fuck is the point of terraforming?

You don't GAIN anything from it.

You might as well just cover the surface in hive farms.
>>
>>48220665
Why not, lets go.

>>48220689
Because I've read too many sci-fi books since I was little. Terraforming ho!
>>
>>48220613
It's cuz I love you guys.
Plus my tabletop group are unreliable flakes.

>>48220617
Uh... Which thread was that? I really don't like forgetting important stuff like that, but if I missed it, I give you the thing for free. I really hate it when I forget stuff, and when we run late in the night it happens more than I'd like.
>>
>>48220689
If it has atmosphere, then any drones we garrison there are cheaper, as they don't need to have the oxygen bacteria. It also makes it easier for us to spread pathogens.
>>
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>>48220678
>worthwhile investment
>when we can already survive on the planet just fine

We adapt drones to the environment not the environment to the drones.

How exactly will this break the rules of conservation of energy and mass to get more than you put in?
>>
>>48220607
I didn't make it up, although Heretic may have changed his mind about us. Here's the quote I'm referencing:

>""Proposed rendezvous designated at this location at request of Gardener for testing of first Godsplitter prototype. Location of prototype unknown, assumed failed and destroyed: location of agent Seer unknown, assumed dead."

>"You were working together? What was the extent?"

>"Proposed research efforts unknown: security clearance insufficient. After rendezvous and testing all critical information updates were to be made at discretion of research agent Seer."

Maybe I misunderstood, but it sounds like we didn't have security clearance because Heretic considered "Seer" to be the only one who could allow that information disclosure.

Source: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/36209541/#p36210908
>>
>>48220706
We don't track costs of drones anymore, and we don't even need to be on the surface very often.

We can just grow the creep over the whole place and create air pockets wherever we need things.

The whole planet is only good for harvesting metals and as a foundation to set down infrastructure/capillary towers.
>>
>>48220702
>Uh... Which thread was that?

Shit man, I don't recall exactly. I could be making shit up I dunno
>>
>>48220588
No worries dude. Hive Quest is the best quest. There's no problem at all in taking the time to do it well. Thanks so much for running as always.
>>
>>48220734
>>"Proposed research efforts unknown

>unknown

Anon do you know what 'unknown means?

It's incredibly obvious the Engram's clearance was insufficient for him to know shit about shit besides the name.
>>
>>48220702
I believe he's referring to one of the last threads before your hiatus, we also tossed about some ship designs if I remember.

>>48220717
>Being satisfied with a single industrial planet
It's an investment. Once we get terraform it we can bump it up to development level 100 and let the biomass and metals flow out of it like water. We won't have to worry about preserving any native life either, because there isn't any.
>>
>>48220760
In hindsight you're probably right. At the time, I read it as Heretic not knowing our own "clearance" and therefore withholding that information. Looking at the quote again I'm probably wrong. Sorry about that.

However, I wasn't trying to pull shit entirely out of my ass with this. If I am mistaken about Heretic's ability to help (and I may be) so be it. That being said, we can't know about the extent of his ability to help us out here if we never ask.
>>
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>>48220753
Aw jeez. Maybe the vote didn't pan out at the time? Well, you have one getting built now at least.

>>48220757
Thanks. I'll try to get some more done before I run the midweek thread. At the very least, you can be assured that I will chart them out before any plot relevant things happen in them that you would notice.

>>48220779
Oh, yea between the time away from it and the changing systems, a lot of stuff got lost in translation from the hiatus. That would not surprise me at all.
>>
>>48220689
You actually need an atmosphere and water to get farms up and running. They work in orbits over gas giants because they can extract that from the atmosphere below them.
>>
>>48220831
Just building one now would be fine.


Sorry for your IRL group being flakey

that shit sucks
>>
>>48220665
Hold on, i seem to have forgotten to divide.
The cost should be, if my calculations are right, 3,790,156.25.
>>
>>48220831
QD, Thanks for the run. Tell me though and this is really important.

DO YOU HEAR THE VOICES TOO?
>>
>>48220702
>Uh... Which thread was that?
>>48220753
>>48220831

It wasn't hiatus. It was last week. 10 thousand hours in archive search.
https://archive.4plebs.org/tg/search/username/QuestDrone/text/capillary/
>>48105874
>>
>>48220831
It's all good QD. So did we get enough votes together to start building capilliary towers?
>>
>>48220702
Thanks for running, and thanks for coming back, as late as that thanks is.
>>
>>48220665
Yeah, we got tens of millions in the bank. This won't set us back enough to really matter.

Anyone want to talk about building space cities at all? I think Wonder (if fixed up a bit) could be pretty impressive to show the Commonwealth if they want to send an emissary to us. It's also a pretty stark reminder of the threat we face.
>>
>>48220873
There wasn't enough support for QD to count that, it would seem.
>>
>>48220845
That's what Weather Spires are for.

They can sustain an atmosphere.

Actual terraforming is not required, that's way more costly to start a whole wasteful biosphere hogging our sunlight.
>>
>>48220899
No, now you're getting things back to front. We need to opt to teraform an airless rock before an atmosphere can exist. Weather spires manipulate complex weather systems, they just don't create them by themselves.
>>
>>48220896
Yeah. The 13 voters were not enough.

I think he got distracted by compiling the giant list of scouting pod locations.
>>
>>48220889
The cities are definitely cool, but without a particular reason for them you'll have a hard time getting anyone to vote for them.
>>
>>48220851
Well, in fairness, they do usually have good reasons.

Except that one guy. Man, I'll be lucky if he tells me he won't be coming at all, let alone a day ahead.

But yea, everyone else just seems to have horrible luck and get in accidents or have something catch on fire or fall down a flight of stairs within an hour of game time.

>>48220868
IT IS A GOOD PAIN

>>48220874
Yup, looks like it. At least for Leeland and Farcast.

>>48220873
Oh, right, yea, essentially I was able to figure out that there was a demand for towers, but not exactly how many and where, so I asked again for specifics tonight.
>>
>>48220899
Terraforming is required if we want to grow anything besides Algae Farms(which i think feed on magnetism), like Bloodroots or Greystalks.
>>
>>48220889
>>48220921
We actually voted to begin constructing a space city at the end of the last thread, QD confirmed it. Given, we have yet to choose a site for it or the features included, and QD has yet to sort out the mechanics of said structures, but work has begun.
>>
>>48220917
>airless
How is Farcast airless? It's barren, but I don't see a description that says airless. It seems large enough to have an atmosphere. Just not a breathable one.

And weather spires make atmospheres breathable, such as after an Overharvest:

>Once complete, the world holds no natural life, and requires the use of weather spires to support any life on the surface as the atmosphere quickly becomes devoid of oxygen, water, and non-hive life down to even microbes.
>>
>>48220931
They feed on electricity, which is unique to Leeland's flora/fauna.

It does that because of how electric or whatever the planet is.
>>
>>48220927
Sounds like your players somehow contracted the curse QD.
>>
>>48220288
>>48220429

I'd support having a conference with Heretic and Theseus about the void crystals.
>>
>>48220958
I'd veto it.

Knowledge is dangerous, remember? Contain it to just us and Elizabeth as much as possible.
>>
>>48220973
Who gave you veto power?
>>
>>48220831
QD, how much does a weather spire network cost on Farcast?
>>
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>>48220981
Who gave you posting power?
>>
>>48220958
We need to have a conference with them both to talk about a whole range of shit. You know what, I'll repost the list I put up at the start of the thread, does anyone think we should add anything to it?

-Possibility of forming a formal alliance and notifying other factions of this.
-Opening diplomatic/economic links with the Commonwealth, recognition of Unity's sovereignty
-More open technology trades, we've been hesitant because we don't know what he can offer
-Increased co-operation between our respective intelligence gathering operations.
-Possibility of merging our territories or allowing traffic through them, allowing us direct access between our two territorial exclaves.
>>
>>48220987
The costs remain the same as before hiatus.

>Weather Spire – A networked collection of spires spread across a planet capable of studying and altering a planet’s climate and atmosphere. Construction includes the building of all spires needed to function. (8,000N 20,000M)
>>
>>48220889
You will get a discount for picking a good site, like hollowing out a good sized asteroid (or gutting wonder and using it)

So far, the idea is the space city itself is built as a kind of hub, which offers a basic amount of simply services and abilities. You will then be able to add on large segments largely dedicated to specific abilities and features, although the number of these segments will be limited. Say, 5, for instance, but each one is very large, and is the primary factor in determining what the space city does.

Think of it like Starbases in Sins of a Solar Empire.

The segments themselves may have some manner of ship component options and the like, but I'm still working on it, but as an example, you could construct a military segment that grants the Space City the equivalent of a colony's missile defence grid and cover it in massive weapon platforms far larger than any ship could reasonably hold. Another segment would be covered in dockyards and offer large bonuses to trade income and traffic with other non-hive governments, or even a segment holding enclosed biomes to attract tourism, ect.
>>
Anyone want to colonize Drift. I don't think there's any OQ presence there and it sounds like it could be a huge boost to some of our construction capabilities.

"Drift – A rocky, metal rich rogue planet set adrift in deep space. It is covered in kilometer wide trenches and fissures in its crust that run the length of continents, which are filled with exposed metal deposits and ruined hive structures."

It's also near Refuge so it nicely adds to our "territory" (if territory is a meaningful term when we have instant transportation).
>>
>>48221025
might I ask why there would be a limit on the space city? Surely the only thing that would 'limit' us is time and resources. Well that and also keeping it away from other gravity sources.
>>
>>48221025
We also have Wonder to refurbish as well.
>>
>>48221036
Sure might as well, we have a bunch of nutrients and metals stockpiled
>>
>>48221014
I don't know if Theseus would necessarily go for it, but it's something to talk about.

I don't see why we can't at least mention to the other factions that "here be bad shit, but it can only hurt you if you know of it. It cannot touch you if you are ignorant."
>>
You know, someday soon, when we end up talking to the humans.

We can insist that Lee request a meeting with his representative in Parliament. Which happens to be Killinger. Just a coincidence.

The hive might also request a meeting with Secretary Morgan, mr foreign affairs.

And thus we can try and finagle them to come discuss things in private. To dismiss your guards too, unless they want to talk about the tinman and Lee's whereabouts in the timespan shortly after his prison was blown up.

We can blackmail them into range of our Advanced Psionic Reading and mind influence, and possibly induce the currently being researched advanced organ-splicing in them.
>>
>>48220948
The Leeland flora uses electromagnetism instead of sunlight, although it still requires an array of soil based nutrients, nitrates, water, ect. All that is just abstracted as turning the stuff plants crave into the stuff growing drones need for strong carapaces.

>>48221049
The scale of a space city when fully built up would be on par with, say, the Citadel from Mass Effect just to take an example. Odin High Command is close to the size you'd get. By the time it was fully built the various segments would have taken up all the room on the hub itself.
>>
>>48221054
QD mentioned Wonder, and I think it's a really great candidate for refurbishing.

I think we may also want to, eventually, build a space city above Leeland to add to its already formidable defenses. Maybe we can capture a (very) large asteroid or something...

That would probably be more expensive, though, so maybe we should put it on the backburner for the time being.
>>
Alright so that's 3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M for weather spire network.
>>48221025
Can we hold a vote on building these things on farcast with a later vote on what kind of farms we want?
>>
>>48221036
Hell yeah, let's do it! I want to shore up the defenses of Refuge too.
>>
>>48221094
So we still need terraforming for farms on Farcast.
>>
>>48221095
>build a space city above Leeland to add to its already formidable defenses

>Build ME's Citadel as a huge gun
>>
>>48221095
That hollowed out mining station would count as a site for constructing a space city hub at a discount, actually.

>>48221099
>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]
>Do not
>>
>>48221095
Well we do have asteroid mining base in leeland's system, we could use that.
>>
>>48221127
>>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]


>That hollowed out mining station would count as a site for constructing a space city hub at a discount, actually.

lovely
>>
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>>48221036
>I don't think there's any OQ presence there

>>40316614
>Your pod quickly accelerates away from Drift until you feel reasonably confident in your pod's ability to remain undetected, or at least in the Obsidian Queen's drones' inability to detect you.


Pull the other one.
>>
>>48221127
>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]
>>
>>48221091
I still want to use Elizabeth as a rep or something. I have to imagine she'd be Public Enemy #1 when/if she's revealed to the Union, though, if they recognize her.
>>
>>48221094
but couldn't we build it in such a way that there will always be at least 'room' to expand upon? Don't get me wrong, I could understand why you want to limit it but I still see it as if we have the time/resources/efforts to keep expanding it why not?

>>48221127
>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]

You know that is a small 'scale' in terms of space stations out of the recent series right? At the very least If i remember my KM's right between ME/40k/SW and Doctor Who.
>>
>>48221127
>>Do not
The most retarded and wasteful idea.

>>48221150
Bitch has antenna coming out of her skull. Face it it's Lee's job, he's Mr Popular.
>>
We're riding the edge of the board. Whatever vote is left to be done, it needs to be done quick
>>
>come back
>thread left on a cliffhanger
FUUUUUUUCK
>>
>>48221127
I might have fucked up the calculations QD, can you count the cost next thread?
>>
>>48221161
I just want to show her offfffff....
>>
>>48221165

>Vote Yes to terraform farcast
>Vote Yes to build space city over Leeland.
>>
>>48221127
>>Do not
>>
>>48221127
>Do not
Unless we're planning on starting a zoo on farcast or something?
>>
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>>48221170
Uhh... sure thing, I'' check it over when I get home from work.

>>48221154
Well, at that scale it would still need to spin to generate gravity (or at least help offset the work any grav plating is doing, although the grav plating would let sections adjust their own gravity like a thermostat.) and the resulting hub/spoke configuration would not leave all that much room for expanding directionally around the hub.

Don't worry though, there are other mega-construction projects available.
>>
>>48220779
>It's an investment. Once we get terraform it we can bump it up to development level 100 and let the biomass and metals flow out of it like water. We won't have to worry about preserving any native life either, because there isn't any.


What.

We can crank development up to 100 now already.

You don't get more biomass than you put into the biosphere in the first place. That's impossible. There is no investment because there are no dividends. Building farms gets dividends.
>>
>>48221127
>>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]

yeah sure
>>
>>48221228
Perfect, I love mega-constructions. Sleep good QD. See you next week.
>>
>>48221238
Can't build farms without good soil.
>>
Thinking about uses for the new Citadel ship.

We could just. Be a bastard to the Valen as is the way of their people and extort the secrets of hypergate technology from them. They enjoy a monopoly on it? Then we can just take a page from Theseus's book and fire relativistic ferrous slugs at hypergates from lighthours away, and blink out before they even see the light from our arrival.

The lost business and gate fares would be astronomical. What are they gonna do, dodge? Throw ships in the way to take the bullet? They can't keep that up forever.

Simple business proposition. Either we can have hypergates, or nobody can.

And if they cave we throw them a party.
>>
>>48221127
>>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]
>>
>>48221127
>>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]
>>
>>48221127
>>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]
>>
>>48221262
Building farms means bringing the soil.

There is no need to create an ENTIRE INDEPENDENT BIOSPHERE, which entails millions of nutrients. Just bring the resources each crop needs locally, as you build them.

It's like fertilizer, but by a super advanced bio engineering race.
>>
>>48221238
Yeah, by destroying Leeland's environment. I like this insane biosphere, it molded our hive's development, and it's well worth the resources to export some of our heavy industries off world to preserve it.

That and you need a biosphere to build farms.
>>
>>48221285
Or we can offer the clan a joint research on improving the hypergate, they get to keep their FTL secret form the union with improvements, and we get a new FTL.
>>
>>48221308
We can only build our electroponic farms on Leeland or in the orbit of gas giants. If we want to build farms on other planets, they need to be made amenable to plant growth first.
>>
>>48221324
No, we can increase development of Farcast to 100, genius. It's just building more and more infrastructure.
>>
>>48221127

>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]
>>
>>48221327
That is the most lopsided bargain in which they have no guarantee of gaining jack shit from it. There's no stick and the carrot is wilted and moldy.
>>
>>48221365
See>>48221346
It isn't just increasing the development score, the hive designs it's farms to suit the environment they construct them in.
>>
>>48221127
>Begin Terraforming Farcast [3,790,156.25 metals and nutrients for terraforming and 8,000N 20,000M]

Seems to be the general consensus.
>>
>>48221410
getting our gardener on
>>
>>48221346
>>48221393
You realize that even on Leeland, we had to provide fertilizer and artificial soil?

We hollowed out caves deep underground in the barren rock to make our algae farms.

What's the surface of Farcast like? Barren rock. It's safe to say we're already capable of creating farms on barren rock, bringing our own soil and water, as long as the crop has an energy source.

And we already have the supercrop from Raligha, Greystalk, that is powered by sunlight, and Farcast has sunlight. Weather Spires provide a hospitable atmosphere. At no step is a biosphere required.
>>
>>48221285
Good idea in theory, but I imagine poor in practice. I believe it would probably work in the short term, but the Valen would do the same back to us on Leeland, by fortifying Tannhauser, and by backing anti hive elements in the Union and Commonwealth. We don't even need hyper gate tech. Skyal artifacts and good relations >>48221285
are far more useful to us.
>>
>>48221410
Niiice. Gonna make our dead aunties proud.
>>
>>48221384
How about this, we offer to create "organs" that will give the owner eternal life and in exchange they let us use the hyper-gate system. Sounds like the kind of deal a Valen would like, no? Of course, the parasites would give us hupper gate tech too...
>>
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>>48221456
>>48221456
>Skyal artifacts and good relations are far more useful to us

The Skyl artifacts that have constantly provided nothing of value to the hive, like the ones the Union have cataloged?

Also, we have a distinct advantage over them. We're about to unlock Shield Domes, we have much less to lose from bombardment, and we have G-sensors to detect them as soon as they arrive in the system, no matter how far out, allowing us to blink and attack immediately.

And on the contrary, hypergate tech will be an essential component if we ever want to invade the Ceph homeworld. We'll need our own pirate gate network.
>>
>>48221479
Hyper gate... Damn mobile.
>>
>>48221479
That would only work if you implanted the secretive priest caste of Valen. They are so incredibly few it's suspiciously unlikely you'd get them.
>>
>>48221482
>The Skyl artifacts that have constantly provided nothing of value to the hive
What are nanomachines.
What are magnetic vortexes.
What is the rip drive.
What is the goddamn immolator warhead.
Jesus anon, I'm not in this argument but at least try to make a decent case.
>>
>>48221501
Those weren't artifacts you moron. That was a data cube given to the hive specifically because it contained everything the Skyl knew about.

We got a usb stick of Skyl research data. We never once found an artifact that provided something that wasn't in the data cube, or was just primitive psionics research.
>>
>>48221501
We traded for all of those, we didn't discover them in Skyl artifacts.
>>
>>48221516
Psionic Cannon was secretive research between Seer and the Gardener, we already have the blueprints they were working on. You aren't likely to find another identical copy on Aral, and it would be useless if you did. Not even Heretic was allowed a copy.

There's pretty much no chance of knowledge of the crystals being left lying around that Heretic didn't have already.
>>
Regarding the nopefest at Nowhere, we need to make sure the Union knows they've fucked up, and that this clusterfuck is not our fault. I'm hesistant to have us drop drones in until it's clear that we're not the cause for this mess. The Union needs to realize that the void is bad news so that they'll eventually fight the void gods with us. It's why the humans were psi-blinded in the first place - as a defense against the void gods.
>>
>>48221538
I say the union is a lost cause on that front.

The commonwealth has been much better about not being cunts.
>>
>>48221538
Whose fault it is specifically is less important than the general cause and effect of, this caused you to get fucked up.

Just nuke their quantum relay into radio silence and invade, clean up the mess, and get out of there before their reinforcements arrive.
>>
>>48221546
Truly, not being a complete cunt is an invaluable diplomatic and political skill, one that the Killinger lacks.
>>
>>48221538
They were psi blinded to serve as guinea pigs to test out an unstable and dangerous weapon- one that destroyed their home world. Not really how I'd want to open first contact really.

But yeah, we show up "tomorrow" over Gemini with a hive ship and an overwhelming fleet with all our guns pointed at the capital... The union will figure they fucked up somewhere along the line right quick.
>>
>>48221569
He's very blackmailable though, he has that going for him in a way that nobody else does.

And his spine looks extremely appetizing.
>>
>>48221410
How do Decker's dreams taste?
>>
inb4 ded
>>
>>48221666
This isn't your part of the prophecy cycle, Satan.
>>
>>48221566
If they end up convinced that getting wiped out was due to their project rather than due to an alien invasion, maybe. But if they end up convinced that aliens screwed up them and then connect the dots to Mirage, now they just know that aliens are blowing up all their void-based projects.

Could we pin it on the Ceph?

Then again, if all we want is for them to learn that the void is bad, that's already well in progress. Maybe the worst thing we could do is put our psi-sensitive selves in the middle of a breach to the void. They need to be seen to see, after all. Having a powerful psionic network peer into this thing might be Very Bad..
>>
>>48221682
As long as we just shut down all the black holes and make the dissipate into nothingness it's as good as harmless.
>>
ARCHIVED
>>
>>48221712
That already happened.



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