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File 165541710881.png - (197.29KB , 800x600 , TQ1.png )
1035159 No. 1035159 ID: 2edd05

"TOBAKS ON A PLANE! TOOOOBAKS ON A PLANE! TOBAKS, IN A PLANE, IN A TUNNEL, IN A CAVE, IN A PLANET, IN A SOLAR SYSTEM, IN A GALAXY, IN A UNIVERSE!"

"TOBAKS!"
"IN."
"A."
"PLANE!"

>"This is true. We are in a plane - but we aren't the only ones on the plane. We have a few aliens on board."
"All those armoured guys in the back? I'm feeling safer already! As safe as I can feel sitting in a plane that was designed like, over two hundred years ago. So, where are the in-flight services? I need some peanuts, ASAP!"
>"I wish this was that kind of flight. alas..."
"Hey Bry, what kind of flight is this?"
>"Not a clue, I'm just as in the dark as you are."
Expand all images
>>
No. 1035160 ID: 2edd05
File 165541712382.png - (249.78KB , 800x600 , TQ2.png )
1035160

"Laaaaaame! Do you know where we're going at least?"
>"A remote airfield that I haven't been to before."
"In the wind tunnels? I thought Summit lost most of its grip on this place to Edevane a few years back."
>"Summit loses and gains territory back all the time. At the moment, I believe this territory is considered wilderness. You can see the occasional raider or scavanger picking the abandoned buildings clean from up here."

"So... Are we there yet?"
>"What's the hurry? We have twenty minutes or so to burn, why don't you find a way to entertain yourself?"
"On a plane? What's there to do on a plane? We don't even get TV reception!"
>"You can find something to do... Like meet the nice aliens. You could possibly even find out what exactly it is we are doing here, even if we're being paid not to know. I love how exotic those aliens are..."
"Yeah, uh-huh, I know- yep, mmm-hmm. What else?"
>"If you feel like sightseeing, you could get a better view of our surroundings by taking a look through the top, bottom, or rear turrets. You may even spot some interesting sights. There is supposed to be an abandoned summit radio tower around here, but I can't seem to spot it..."
"I will let you know if I feel like getting a better view of... whatever’s outside. I may even see a rock or two."
>"We also have a small equipment replicator, you may find entertainment in watching it make something."
>>
No. 1035161 ID: 2edd05
File 165541713860.png - (205.91KB , 800x600 , TQ3.png )
1035161

"Oh! I should use the replicator to build some new hands! I've always wondered what it’s like to have an extra finger on each hand like the aliens!"
>"Do what you would like. You could even stay here and chat with me, I do enjoy your company after all~... Hold on, do you know where my pipe went?"

heheheh. Wouldn't you like to know?
>>
No. 1035164 ID: 899c9f

Why not use the replicator to print out some random disposable junk and just eject it from the plane over the wilderness? Imagine the look on some scav's face when he gets beaned in the head with a pack of smokes!
>>
No. 1035168 ID: ba605b

>>1035161
Go talk to one of the aliens, maybe you might learn something neat today. What's your name by the way? Who are you?

>>1035164
I wouldn't recommend it. You can't just open a window and toss something outside. That how you get sent to toilet cleaning duty. heh....."duty."
>>
No. 1035170 ID: 2aa5f0

check out the aliens just to see who's bumming a ride with you two.
>>
No. 1035173 ID: 5d9787

I got a feeling Bry is the most uplifting company in this plane.
Give his pipe back and talk about silly stuff both of you find fun.
>>
No. 1035175 ID: cbce12

Talking to aliens sounds good.
>>
No. 1035208 ID: b01382

>>1035161
Hand holding. With aliens. Kawai!
>>
No. 1035226 ID: 8a4559

Too bad you can't replicate peanuts.

Talk to the aliens! Having a copilot is overrated.
>>
No. 1035238 ID: 7a2420

yaaa, new tobak quest

Have you messed with the replicator? That sounds fun. Or talking to the aliens. Or talk to the aliens about the replicator. Rummage around for peanut substitutes.
>>
No. 1035240 ID: ff05ed

Heavens, not does Roaway make a new Tobak Thread, he starts it with "Hey, guys, do you want me to draw you landscapes, aliens, or a super-machine crafting cool stuff?" I love this guy.

Let's talk to the humans!
>>
No. 1035241 ID: ae9bd9

Soooo, B-29 formation.

What happens to be our payload?
>>
No. 1035250 ID: d523de

>>1035161
Fess up about the pipe. It’s too good not to share, what happened to that pipe.
>>
No. 1035306 ID: fec07f

>>1035250
Or at least give him a hint
>>
No. 1035319 ID: 211b7e

>>1035161
Let's go check out the aliens.
>>
No. 1035378 ID: 15a025

Talk to the aliens. What kind are we flying with?
>>
No. 1035415 ID: 2edd05
File 165563072385.png - (169.22KB , 800x600 , TQ4.png )
1035415

>what happened to that pipe
I can't say for sure where it is, it could be in my pocket, or it could be in my other pocket. If he didn't want me to take it, he should've nailed it down better!
>Or at least give him a hint
How do I hint without giving it away? Besides, I'm doing a good thing here, smoking is bad for your health. (And it's only cool when I do it!)

>What's your name by the way? Who are you?
The name's Coil! Weird name for a tobak, I know. There is a distinct lack of T's, L's and Y's in my name. A name like 'Tylo','Latt' or 'Elty' is a suuuuuper tobak name. Coil? Not as much.

>B-29 formation. What happens to be our payload?
I suppose that's classified. All the crew knows is that a bunch of Summit guards came on escorting some kind of container. I'm not sure what the other B-29s are doing, we're all going different places in these ancient planes. Grunts like us are given such dated equipment that I sometimes forget that the more important guys have access to hovercrafts, laser guns, plasma knives, energy shields and teleporters, weird living armor and all that other cool stuff.

>I got a feeling Bry is the most uplifting company in this plane.
He sure can be eccentric - like how he calls people 'darling' and 'sweetheart' but he is usually good at focusing on his job. I suspect he is terrible at picking up the ladies though, because he tries practicing his flirts and pickup lines on me from time to time.

>Talk to the aliens! Having a co-pilot is overrated.
It sure is!
"Hey Bry, you don't need a co-pilot right now, do you?"
>"I don't mind~ I can hold things down while you stretch your legs."
>>
No. 1035416 ID: 2edd05
File 165563074671.png - (273.17KB , 800x600 , TQ5.png )
1035416

>What kind of aliens are we flying with?
Summit is a company that is joint-owned by both humans and belenosians - which is a little unusual because I thought aliens didn't like sharing their companies. Though I have heard that humans and belenosians in particular get along well, and have for a long time because they were the first intelligent alien life to come into contact, so I guess they've known each other longest. I don't know much about the Belenos, besides them having been super advanced in the past before sending themselves back to the stone age somehow. Humans on the other hand have been really good about recording their history, so we know the most about them. A lot of the equipment employed by Summit is replicated war equipment that humans used to fight each other long before they were anywhere near a spacefaring age. I can't remember how old this human war plane was designed though. 200 years? 300 years? 500 years? How old is the universe again? I'm pretty sure it's 2000-something years old, at least.

I walk in to see the aliens, all wearing armor and holding their laser guns. You can tell they are well equipped, holding tech that looks like it was designed less than a century ago.

There is a selection of belenos, human and female tobaks making up the team of armed soldiers. Some are wearing helmets, some aren't. One Belenos lady notices me come by. Seeing a female with horns and such short ears is very odd to me. The tail is close enough though.

>"Hey there little guy, are you lost? Can you understand me?"
"Of course I can! Why wouldn't I?"
>"S-sorry, I just didn't know you tobaks were as smart as the more well-known aliens."
"You must be new down here then, we're fast learners."
>"Why are you dressed like that?"
"They say to dress for the job you want, how else do you think I became a pilot?"
>"You're not qualified?!"
"I am! mostly. "
>"I see. Can I help you?"
>>
No. 1035417 ID: 899c9f

Just making small talk. For a design that's at least two hundred years old, she sure is pretty ain't she? So what brings you by our humble little hollow earth?
>>
No. 1035418 ID: 273c18

>>1035415
>I suspect he is terrible at picking up the ladies though, because he tries practicing his flirts and pickup lines on me from time to time.
That's because he likes dudes. He's gay, bro.
...does he have tails? I can't see them.

>>1035416
Tell her you're just taking a little walk and admiring their equipment. Are there any snacks around?
>>
No. 1035420 ID: 5d9787

"I came to check and chat. We got twenty minutes of plain dark caves ahead of us that don't require two pair of eyes to navigate."
"So what bring you to this corner of the underworld sweetheart?"
"Are you planing to do something fun after we land? I bet it's gonna be a party when all those flashlights are lit."

Are you sure you don't want to return Bry's pipe? Don't you want to find out how good he is at smoking?
>>
No. 1035421 ID: 2aa5f0

I kind of want to ask about the gun. I mean I don't think you've ever even held a real gun before, closest you have come is just using a supped up nail gun and seeing a real gun and such an advance one... I admit I'm kind of curious about it. I mean yeah you saw clover with her rail gun but even then that's still just a slug thrower at the end of the day... if a highly advanced one.

Wonder what it would take for us to get something like that one day. Though that does bring up a question, how do laser weapons work with your kinds light sensitivity? Or do they use UV light that can't be seen by the naked eye?
>>
No. 1035423 ID: 103426

>>1035416
Ask the goat lady to lean on down so we tell her a secret, then boop her on her cute snoot!
Waddle away before she reacts!
>>
No. 1035426 ID: 5d9787

>>1035421
You are confusing him with Dowser. This protagonist is Coil who likely doesn't know Clover, seem to be employed as a pilot and have a prosthetic hand. For all we know it's possible he already had the opportunity to use something from his company arsenal.
>>
No. 1035428 ID: 103426

>>1035415
Okay not gonna lie. I looked at Bry again and hes doing numbers for me. Like really cursive, gay numbers. 10/10 would hold his hand.

>>1035416
Ask about armor and guns?

So like what are we gonna ask again? Guns, armor, reasons for being here, reasons for using old mass printed shit, do they got food to trade with, what MRE's like, whats an Arkot, is the rumors true about human-halflings, how much do their gear cost, can we use their printer to make our own replica cool stuff?

Do we have a phone? Can we play games on it?
>>
No. 1035430 ID: 2aa5f0

>>1035426
ah I though the pilot was calling himself coil, my bad.
>>
No. 1035439 ID: 513283

>>1035415
>it could be in my other pocket

Did you shove a pipe up your ass as a prank?

>>1035416
Ask about the cool gun.
>>
No. 1035453 ID: 2edd05
File 165566867816.png - (121.33KB , 800x600 , TQ6.png )
1035453

>Bry likes dudes
I would like dudes better too if I had trouble with the ladies - which I do. Chicks flirt with Bry all the time though, and he always chokes! Maybe I should act as his wingman next time.

>Does Bry have tails?
He does, they are just really small and stubby.

>Do we have a phone? Can we play games on it?
I wish! Instead, we get given phones without screens attached to different surfaces in case of emergencies, presumably so we don't mess around. I would have brought my personal PDA if they had let me, but I was made to leave it behind.

>Are you sure you don't want to return Bry's pipe? Don't you want to find out how good he is at smoking?
He is excellent at smoking! he can do that thing where you can blow rings, I just don't like when he blows them at my face while I'm daydreaming!

>boop her on her cute snoot!
Touching people's head parts without asking first is a bad idea, speaking from experience!

"Just making small talk. What brings you to our funny hollow planet?"
>"I figured the weather this time of year would be nice for a vacation. Just kidding! Indentured servitude! I am not good with money... eheh... Looks like I'm working as security for the foreseeable future."
"Is there a snack stash around here?"
>"Oddly enough, there is a vending machine. I'm not buying anything from it though, too expensive."
"Can you tell me about the armor and guns? I don't see equipment like that too often."
>"Standard issue Summit medium protection combat armor- it'll protect against nails, small bullets and laser blasts. And this laser blaster... is a laser blaster. I haven't had a chance to fire it yet. how do you turn the safety off? It has been a couple weeks and now I'm too afraid to ask..."
"How much does the armor cost?"
>"More than I could ever comfortably pay to replace it if I lost it."
"Think I can use the printer to make equipment like that?"
>"Possibly! You need to get a code from the platoon leader for the printer to be able to create anything more advanced than human world war tech."
"Who is your platoon leader?"
>"Captain Fletcher..."
"Oh."
>"You know her?"
"Yeah, I met her back when she was still a first lieutenant, she dislikes me - perhaps more than everyone else who dislikes me, which means a lot!"
>"Even though she is a tobak like you? I see... It might be a bit hard getting the code from her then."

"Do you know what's going on?"
>"I wish. I'm just following orders to guard some kind of container. The only person who knows what's actually going on is the captain, and she won't say any specifics. I guess this is some kind of secret mission, in which case, the movies make them out to be a lot less boring."
>>
No. 1035454 ID: 899c9f

Well, in the movies they're usually exciting because something bad happens. Idle chatter is the fun kind of excitement! Are belenosian males smaller and fluffy like tobak males?
Trade names.
>>
No. 1035455 ID: dee951

If you have a laser blaster, you're going to need some really good dark goggles! Backscatter and reflections are no joke! Also you can get your steampunk vibe on.
>>
No. 1035459 ID: 273c18

>>1035453
Tell her that knowing how to use her gun is probably going to be important soon.
>>
No. 1035463 ID: 5d9787

If we somehow know how the laser blaster works point the safety to her. It's an easy favor to score.
If you don't, tell her to swallow her pride and ask. She might be needing it very soon.

I didn't know you could get indentured servitude from debt. There is a bit more to this tale, doesn't it?

>He is excellent at smoking!
So you've seen his skills. Are you sure you don't want to find out how good he is at smoking?
>>
No. 1035471 ID: 2952db

Check out the vending machine. Snacks sound like the best idea right now.
>>
No. 1035477 ID: 103426

>>1035453
Go flirt with Fletcher and see if you can get the code to the printer. Maybe you can make something cool for yourself.
Failing to flirt with Fletcher, try flirting with Bry. Bros before hos or something right?
>>
No. 1035478 ID: 103426

>>1035471
Do you think we could pull off the "coin on a string" tactic to get free snacks? I hope so.
>>
No. 1035482 ID: 103426

>>1035454
This! If we dont die, maybe they can hang out and watch movies.

>>1035455
Now that you mention it, i think i know why tobaks use primarily nail guns. Its because the muzzle flash of a gun might blind them.

>>1035416
Say what is Coil good at? Do we have any particular skills?
>>
No. 1035483 ID: 2aa5f0

ask someone else if their gun has a safety and how someone can tell if it's on or off, then come back and tell bad with money how to change the safety off her gun. Also ask her for her name because I realize we never got it.
>>
No. 1035484 ID: 103426

>>1035453
What if Bry is gay? Try flirting with him next time you see him. Thers just something about a tobak wearing eye make up that has me guessing.
>>
No. 1035518 ID: 0fca08

How come Bry has short, stunty tails and you have extra puffy tails? Have you been stealing from him?
>>
No. 1035577 ID: 2edd05
File 165580148602.png - (234.24KB , 800x600 , TQ7.png )
1035577

>Do we have any particular skills?
I'm really good with my hands - at least I used to be, when I still had my hands. I used to be able to repair equipment and jury rig all sorts of stuff, but I mainly just operate on aircraft nowadays.

>How come Bry has short, stunty tails and you have extra puffy tails? Have you been stealing from him?
While it isn't exactly difficult to steal from Bry, I have nothing to do with his tails. Perhaps he lost his tails in an accident like I lost my hands - relatable if true.

>Are belenosian males smaller and fluffy like tobak males?
I know for a fact that this isn't the case, I've seen quite a few belenosian guys and they are almost always bigger than the ladies. Alien sexual dimorphism is very strange!

"What's your name? I don't think I ever picked up on that."
>"My name is Sam. Nice to meet you, um..."
"Coil. The safety on your gun is a button on the top of the trigger guard on the left side, push it in and it'll pop out on the right side. Press on it again to put it back in safety."
>"O-oh! Thanks! How did you know?"
"I've repaired a few laser guns, and I've read many more operational manuals. I fix stuff, it's what I used to do."


>Try flirting with Bry next time you see him
What a great idea! I'll be the one practicing on him for once. I just need to think up some material.

>Go flirt with Fletcher and see if you can get the code to the printer
While I consider myself to be quite charismatic, I can be quite a hard sell for some people! I don't think I could ever successfully charm someone who despises me as much as Fletcher, but the very thought of trying is too entertaining to let up.

I go over into the unlit room where Fletcher is sitting in a room with various other armed tobak ladies. The isn't wearing her armor, just sitting there lifting a weight.

"Hey Fletcher, I -"
>"The hell do you want, Coil?"
"To seduce you into giving me the code to unlock the advanced equipment for the printer!"
>"No. Idiot. Why do you even need special equipment? And why the hell do you think you could seduce me? You are not my type."
"I thought you liked guys who dressed sharp?"
>"You're dressed as sharp as a clown. I can't believe they put me on the same plane with you and put you in charge of helping fly it. Whatever. Don't bother me unless you have a good reason, or else I’ll -… What happened to your other hand?"
"Oh, you know. The usual."
>>
No. 1035578 ID: 2edd05
File 165580150523.png - (310.94KB , 800x600 , TQ8.png )
1035578

>Do you think we could pull off the "coin on a string" tactic to get free snacks.
Maybe if the machine took coins. These machines only take company credit - which is fine seeing as that is what they pay me.

The belenosian wasn't lying, these are at least 20% more expensive than normal, but the machine is well stocked as a result of everyone else being stingy. I could pick up a snack or two before we land, let's see what we have here... Candy bars, food bars, beverages, chips, chocolate, and foods that come in any flavour I can think of! What I see before me is my reason for existing! This is my god! I am a true believer in alien food supremacy!

...Ew... Is that... coffee cake? That sounds awful.

Ooooh but they have caramel slice!
>>
No. 1035579 ID: 497694

I think Fletcher likes you.
>>
No. 1035581 ID: 5d9787

Just to be clear, are the food prices inconveniently high or are they barely affordable? I never got a good grasp on this.
If they are very expensive make a single purchase and don't think about your foolishness incapacity of delaying your gratification as the sugar dances in your mouth.
If they are an inconvenience you could buy some for your coworkers, just for today. A bit of bribe could give you a better chance of scoring a favor, or get them to overlook something.

As for pick up lines what about any of those:
>Baby, if you were words on a page, you’d be fine print.
>I'm no photographer, but I can picture us together.
>Something’s wrong with my eyes because I can’t take them off you.
>You know what you would look really beautiful in? My arms.
>I bet I need a refined route framework to explore myself to your heart.
>I never expected to discover heavenly messengers at this elevation.
>Is your runway prepared for landing?
>It's pretty plane and simple... I really think we could take off.
>My heart must be a plane, cause you just hijacked it.
Hopefully you can get a few chuckles out of Fletcher and Bry. Just don't put too much faith on them working for their stated purpose.
>>
No. 1035583 ID: 273c18

Oh, those aren't gloves, you've got cybernetic hands. What happened, did you get them replaced just because you wanted to?

Get yourself some caramel slice, then get back to the cockpit to do your job.
Is Bry's eye shape a commonly seen one?
>>
No. 1035584 ID: 2aa5f0

I notice that fletcher has cyber eyes, seeing how she isn't wearing goggles, and I'm not sure but does your co-pilot have cyber eyes as well or is the cockpit separate from the rest of the plane so you guys don't have to worry about being blinded by the light and the aliens don't have to worry about fumbling in the dark?

Either way is their any tobak on this plan that still has all their original parts? I'm a bit worried that so many of you seem to have lost limbs.
>>
No. 1035598 ID: 02e7e9

>>1035584
Her goggles are down on her neck, his too
>>
No. 1035603 ID: 06a5d8

What did happened to your hands? Did you blow them up or something?
>>
No. 1035604 ID: b01382

>>1035577
Wow. Fletcher is very pretty. I cant image why she doesnt like you. You're such a swell dude! Did you do something im the past to make her not like you? Have you tried asking her out on a date? Maybe you can go watch a movie or dine at a resturant.
Maybe she'll let you use the printed at least ONCE so you can print out a spare hand in case of one of your hands gets damaged?

>>1035578
Wow those ARE expensive. You cant exactly binge with vending snacks. If youre gong to geting something, get a snack that 10 zeny or less, or whatever you can company credits. You know what I mean.

>>1035581
Tobaks are probably the ones most susceptible to food bribery. Dunno if they'll work on humans or goat people. We shouldn't binge too much on snacks for co-workers since we might not see some of them again barring Bry and Fletcher. You know, department transfer, KIA, and all that junkmail garbage.

>>1035583
How'd you come to the conclusion they were gloves? So far Coil's mentioned, or insinuating, hes lost his hands in accidents.
>>
No. 1035605 ID: 129177

Don’t tobak hands have some regen capability? How did you have the same accident twice?
Try a candy bar. Avoid the ones with peanuts, unless you know whether tobaks are allergic to any human staples or not.
>>
No. 1035611 ID: 5d9787

>>1035604
I was thinking of only those two. Coil wouldn't gain much by spending money to please slave soldiers.
He could try to get lucky with the exotic lady but as you pointed out this wouldn't be the right gift for her.
>>
No. 1035614 ID: b01382

>>1035605
Tobaks can regrow their fingers and toes. Their digits, not the entire hand or food. Just the digits aparently. Those nero-dog aliens have it good with their bullshit regeneration.

>>1035611
Which exotic lady? Sam, or the BIG tobak LADY Fletcher? The goat lady I think Coil could get into her good graces relatively easily. She seems kinda new. Fletcher would need some elbow grease but i can see it working. She's workingout though, so if Coil got her anything it would have to be a protein bar or something. The less shitty ones.
>>
No. 1035637 ID: ba605b

>>1035577
Date! Ask her! Compliment her work ethics and military prowess! Because saying she's pretty and have beautiful eyes is too easy!
>>
No. 1035638 ID: ba605b

>>1035578
Hmmmm. Do you know any Tobak by the name of Dowser or Lyvvy? Yellow tobak? Do you know a female Tobak named Clover with clover shaped eyes? Do you know a drone that goes by the name of Lyvvy? Can you tell us any neat people if interest in your life? Friends? Family? Bosses?
>>
No. 1035642 ID: 5d9787

>>1035614
I don't think we are getting into Fletcher's good grace at all. It's amusing that the approach he used was blunt seduction, but what I would hope to gain would be a more cordial relation and to light up the mood, not a romantic one.

The exotic lady I was referring to was Sam. From his perspective she should be a bit androgynous or a mismatch of sexual characteristics. This could be either off putting or intriguing to him.
Regardless she seem very disposable for the company, so maybe we shouldn't get too invested in someone who could die very soon.

As for the candy bribery, I meant Fletcher and Bry. It sound like a good idea to improve the opinion of us from people we want to ask either favors or to overlook our misconducts.

I'm sorry if was difficult to understand.
>>
No. 1035649 ID: 2edd05
File 165586087140.png - (270.86KB , 800x600 , TQ9.png )
1035649

>I can’t imagine why Fletcher doesn’t like you. You're such a swell dude! Did you do something in the past to make her not like you?

3 YEARS EARLIER.

"Pssst. Lieutenant Fletcher! I know you're in some big meeting and all, but I just came by to tell you that I unclogged all the pipes in your bathroom like you asked. You shed a lot of hair, you know that? I put it all in a bag in case you wanted to keep it and make a wig out of it or something. Hello?... Hellooooo? Why are all these aliens giving you such funny looks? There's a guy over there trying not to laugh. Hey, isn't that that high-ranking warboss over there on stage? He's looking right at us! Helloooooo!"
>>
No. 1035650 ID: 2edd05
File 165586097448.png - (155.78KB , 800x600 , TQ10.png )
1035650

Nothing comes to mind. For someone going by the moniker 'Honey-Hair Fletcher' you'd think she would try being a little sweeter! Especially since I apparently 'made her work twice as hard for that promotion.' - you'd think she would be a little more thankful for me being such a good motivator.

>I think Fletcher likes you.
Yeah, I bet she is just pretending to hate me to hide how much she secretly loves me!

>What happened to your hands?
Industrial accidents! Both separate incidents. I coincidentally lost my left hand the day after Fletcher got her nickname. I was working on repairing a steamroller when it rolled ever so slightly over my hand, good thing I’m ambidextrous. The second accident happened somewhat recently. Luckily for me, hooking up robotic limbs for tobaks is as simple as soldering a few wires together.

>Don’t tobak hands have some regen capability?
Only for our digits - Not much can be done for anything beyond that. Not like those neuron-mono dog guys who can regenerate full limbs, or even their heads after a decapitation.

>fletcher has cyber eyes
Nah, we're just in a different room that is dark enough for tobaks to see in.

>Is Bry's eye shape a commonly seen one? Does he have cyber eyes?
He has that glade tobak eye gene that allows him to see in both the dark and in lower light levels. He can still be blinded, but he has a higher tolerance threshold.

>Date! Ask her! Compliment her work ethics and military prowess!
I hate to say it, but I'm thinking that a date with her and me is pretty unlikely. Though I bet she would be totally into Bry, he wears a suit, and she is all over guys who wear suits. Maybe I should introduce the two.

>Do you know anyone by the name of Dowser or Lyvy?
Oh yeah. Those two are my roommates. I don't see them too often though, I'm usually staying in the work provided sleeping quartars. Dowser happens to be one of Fletcher's many brothers - It has to be said, Dowser has a lot of family. I don't know Lyvy much, but I know he dislikes me!

I buy a couple of items from the vending machine, one caramel bar to eat now and a different favored bar for later. Maybe I can use the spare as a bribe or something.
>>
No. 1035652 ID: 899c9f

Do Dowser and his sister get along?
Anywhere else to explore back here? Maybe the turret controls?
>>
No. 1035653 ID: 273c18

Tobaks have wires for nerves? Incredible.

See if you can spot any animals on the walls of the tunnel.
>>
No. 1035654 ID: 2aa5f0

so do you know where you're flying to or is that still a mystery as well?
>>
No. 1035658 ID: 23b77b

Let's buy a chocolate for Bry because he is a good friend, then check out the landscape we are flying over.
>>
No. 1035681 ID: b01382

>>1035650
Fletcher is super cute anyways. Maybe Dowser could help you get into her good graces.
>>
No. 1035687 ID: 2edd05
File 165591580344.png - (206.34KB , 800x600 , TQ11.png )
1035687

>Do Dowser and his sister get along?
On one hand, people get along well with family, and I'm sure Dowser views his positively, on the other hand, tobaks that work for different companies tend not to get along too well (even if they are family.) Dowser became an independent a while ago, but he did work for Edevane before that. Maybe it doesn't matter too much, he does have a relative working for just about every company.

>Fletcher is super cute anyways. Maybe Dowser could help you get into her good graces.
I'm not sure if he'd approve of me making moves on his sister. Then again, he has made worse decisions in the past - like how he bet his own name and lost it to a sect. Maybe if I help him find a lady, he'll help me get on Fletcher's good site. Gotta find a big lady first. Dowser loves big ladies. not that he'll admit it.

>Tobaks have wires for nerves? Incredible.
I'm just as surprised that all the aliens have something completely different. I bet we have wires because we eat so many minerals.

>so, do you know where you're flying to or is that still a mystery?
Apparently, this is all standard protocol. A fleet of planes fly together and slowly splinter off one by one down different tunnels to different bases. I'm not sure what the point is, but who am I to turn down a plane ride.

>Check outside
I walk over to one of the windows with a snack in hand. Just a bunch of rocks. I can't really see any animals, they must blend in well with the environment. What else can I see...

We got some planes back there...

Big... red...

Those aren't our planes.

Weird. Wonder what those are doing there.
>>
No. 1035688 ID: b0b5f8

Sounds like you should go to battlestations, just in case.
>>
No. 1035689 ID: 2aa5f0

Hurry back to the cockpit and notify your co-pilot, the crew, and the other planes in the fleet with your radio that you have some unknown aircraft approaching you. Things might be getting interesting.
>>
No. 1035690 ID: ce39da

"WE GOT UNKNOWN RED PLANES!" you shout as you run back to the cockpit to repeat the warning on the radio.
>>
No. 1035691 ID: c733da

>>1035649
Smooth.

>>1035687
>tobaks that work for different companies tend not to get along too well
Destiny is a funny thing.

Also, those planes look like something you should totally report to somebody. Like, right now.
>>
No. 1035692 ID: 30b9f6

Time to go back to co-pilot and announce to your passengers that the ride's about to get bumpy on account of bogeys on your tails.

Grab a reserve parachute or two on the way back to the pilot seat. Juuuust in case.

Wait, you do have parachutes, right?
>>
No. 1035693 ID: 5d9787

>>1035689
That cover everything. Just run.
>>
No. 1035694 ID: 6a2a09

casually walk back to everyone and tell them that we're meeting some weird unexpected red planes
>>
No. 1035695 ID: 6e9a06

Are we under Fletcher in this operation or are they just leader of a platoon we are escorting? If they are in charge we should tell them first for them to decide how to respond if not then the pilot.
>>
No. 1035696 ID: b01382

>>1035687
Oh Fuck! Go inform Fletcher, then go to the cock (hue) Pit with Bry. We might need to do some maneuvers. Where the hell is our escort fighter planes!?
>>
No. 1035699 ID: b01382

>>1035687
Oh and I nearly forgot. Give Bry a kiss on the lips in case we don't live through this apparent assaults. And uh give back his pipe.
>>
No. 1035717 ID: f5b4c2

>>1035687
Wow, you guys are kinda fucked if they start firing. You guys are in an ancient fossil of a plane that was a sitting duck in its heyday and they seem to be in modern aerospace fighters.
>>
No. 1035745 ID: 273c18

>>1035687
Alert the crew, and get to your seat.
>>
No. 1035776 ID: b01382

>>1035687
Do you think Dowser could handle a 5% or 10% grade bio armor?
>>
No. 1035777 ID: 761d3b

Those can be enemy airplanes! Fast, ask some attentive and reliable superior! Tell Fletcher!
>>
No. 1035880 ID: 2edd05
File 165611670704.png - (149.35KB , 800x600 , TQ12.png )
1035880

>Do you think Dowser could handle a 5% or 10% grade bio armor?
Never seen bio armor before, I've only heard stories - and from what I've heard, I don't think there is a male tobak on Saxum VIII that could handle it at any grade (unless it goes in the negatives.)

>Unknown red planes
Those planes aren't unknown at all, in fact, there's only one other company that comes to mind that thinks they own all the airspace around here.

Just as I suspected - Edevane. Looks like we got a couple patrol jets trailing us. Look at them, with their slicker, futuristic, aerodynamic designs - They think they're sooo much better than us! Looks as if they were designed and built by engineers and mechanics. It probably took a number of months for them to build those! It only takes Summit mere days to replicate a B-29!

>Wow, you guys are kinda fucked if they start firing. You guys are in an ancient fossil of a plane that was a sitting duck in its heyday and they seem to be in modern aerospace fighters.
Pssssh! They don't call this thing a flying fortress for nothing! And even if they manage to down us, Summit will just print two more in our place! Summit Mining Company is the greatest company in the universe!
>>
No. 1035881 ID: 2edd05
File 165611673001.png - (241.32KB , 800x600 , TQ13.png )
1035881

>Give Bry a kiss on the lips in case we don't live through this apparent assault
It's a little too early to be performing CPR!

>Things might be getting interesting.
Interesting is right, I might actually have to do my job. I don't like having to get serious, but now might be a good time.

>You do have parachutes, right?
Just about one for everyone on board. We are at maximum passenger capacity, so there are no spares for me to take, should I need one.

>those planes look like something you should totally report to somebody. Like, right now.
Probably a good Idea. I tune in to the comm system.
"We got a situation! Two Edevane patrol jets trailing us at eight o' clock! They probably got light emitting weapons systems, so all tobaks should put their eye protection on!"
"We're being followed? Since when? This complicates things. You should come back to the front, Coil"
Fletcher tunes into the conversation.
>"Never mind the front, one pilot is enough. Get on one of the turrets and shoot those bastards down. I'd get one of my guys to do it, or even do it myself, but we're wearing too much armor and it's too damn cramped in the tunnels leading to the turret positions. Only you male tobaks and sect on the plane crew can move around quick enough. I'm getting my guys to equip parachutes and hold onto the cargo in case we have to jump off early and do the delivery by foot. Don't screw this up."
"Everyone to battle positions! I am maintaining current route!"

>Are we under Fletcher in this operation or are they just leader of a platoon we are escorting?
She just leads the platoon we are escorting. Whether I follow her orders or go to assist Bry is my call.

A burst of energised projectiles flies past our left wing, a shot managing to land between two of the engines. The damage isn't too urgent, and I'm protected from being blinded because my eyes are well protected. These guys are using better tech, but our projectiles should work just as good on them.
>>
No. 1035882 ID: 899c9f

Get in the turrets and shoot back! This isn't just a flying fortress, it's a flying superfortress! It's time for the old ways of bomber self reliance to make a comeback.
>>
No. 1035883 ID: ce39da

Going off on your own to repair is fighting a losing battle - the top priority is minimizing hostiles. Get shootin'!
>>
No. 1035884 ID: 2aa5f0

>I'd get one of my guys to do it, or even do it myself, but we're wearing too much armor and it's too damn cramped in the tunnels leading to the turret positions

wow they really don't plan these things out do they? You think the company would have a full crew to man all positions or at least have the passengers capable of pulling double duty and being able to main the turrets on the plane while flying through known enemy territory (or contested territory, not sure if you guys own these tunnels). Then again you work for a corporation and not an actual military so the bean counters probably decided to cut on the plane's crew down to a minimum (just the pilots) and then load everything else up with passengers so they could squeeze more people in so they wouldn't have to use as many planes.
>>
No. 1035892 ID: 273c18

>>1035881
>eyes are well protected
So both sets of goggles block light? What's the difference between them?

Get in the turret, Coil.
>>
No. 1035896 ID: dee951

...Why are those modern looking planes so close you can see them? That's very odd for a modern design. Shouldn't they be attacking from BVR? Like, the first time you know you are under attack from a modern jet be when you eat a missile and then start to go down?? Are they just... not using appropriate tactics? Even if both of you have short ranged DEW's, shouldn't that be, yaknow, just backup weapons for modern fighters? Since you can actually see them clearly, aren't you in 'knife fight in a phone booth' range??

Also, if it takes months for them to make those, and days for your people to make your low tech hunk of junk, shouldn't you outnumber them by well over a 10:1 ratio?

ALSO ALSO, if you are limited to World War II tech, then why aren't you all escorted by Messerschmitt JET fighters?!?!
>>
No. 1035898 ID: 5d9787

We are in a dark cave and all available weapons produce light that may blind the pilots. Maneuvering while wearing those dark goggles must be very risky.

I can operate the turrets but get someone ready to replace me near the tunnel. You are underestimating the usefulness of a second pilot in this situation.
>>
No. 1035900 ID: f5b4c2

>>1035896
Radar and BVR don't really work when you are flying through a bunch of huge bendy tubes.
>>
No. 1035901 ID: f5b4c2

>>1035896
Also lasers don't use any ammo, and plasma would use minimal ammo, so that would actually be more cost effective than using expensive missiles.
>>
No. 1035902 ID: dee951

>>1035901

Lasers can use ammo! Haven't you heard of capacitors? Sometimes those are single use 'bullets'; laser revolvers exist. ALSO, parts for combat lasers wear out because they get overheated and distorted and need replacement!

Also, it'd be cheaper to use missiles because you aren't... you know... losing the entire airplane and the pilot, and are instead expending a relatively cheap missile (you do NOT need the most high tech missile to defeat a WWII tech airplane!), and leveraging the fact that you can fire it from well outside the engagement envelope of the other plane (possibly vertically not just horizontally!) to, yaknow, get 100:1+ kill death ratios. Laser weapons, particle beam weapons, and plasma weapons have utility, but in an atmosphere with clouds and diffraction and scattering and all the problems with AIR and such, their range is QUITE a bit lower than a missile in this context! They're not being fired from massive ground or orbital installations to power through this kind of thing, after all! Laser weapons are good for point defense and intercepting missiles and other sorts of incoming fire, since it's point and shoot, but generally only if they are under automatic computer control!

I call foul. Something VERY VERY weird is going on; I expect interference from some sort of 'outside context' agency or power to bring about this set of events and circumstances.
>>
No. 1035917 ID: b01382

>>1035881
Find a turret and radio in with the other male Tobaks and sects. Role call! Who's manning what battle stations! We need all turrets gunners operating the turrets since yesterday!
Turn of safeties and fire back at those jet fighter fucks!
>>
No. 1035924 ID: 761d3b

Turret plan sound good. If you trust Bry to pilot the plane alone thats it...
>>
No. 1035926 ID: 708905

>>1035902
Perhaps they want to take the cargo so rather then risk vaporizing it with a missile they're trying to force a landing with precision weapons
>>
No. 1035929 ID: dee951

>>1035926

Then wouldn't it be more effective to hijack the plane, or to have a 100% effective threat of destruction than risk it able to defend itself effectively? A shot from wayyyyy above their flight ceiling, exploded directly in front of them, and then radio contact saying 'divert to x location and land or be destroyed'?
>>
No. 1035961 ID: 15a025

RETURN FIRE!!!
>>
No. 1035974 ID: 34a520

>>1035881
Oh, yeah, i nearly forgot. If there is a male tobak or a sect not doing anything except sticking their thumbs up their own ass, they can take over the turret for us as we return back to Bry as his co-pilot.
>>
No. 1035976 ID: 2edd05
File 165623718455.png - (342.98KB , 800x600 , TQ14.png )
1035976

>So, both sets of goggles block light? What's the difference between them?
These goggles block light well, but my eyes are already covered beneath that. The dimming goggles are an extra measure beyond that. I really prefer that my eyes be shielded at all costs.

>Why are those modern looking planes so close you can see them? That's very odd for a modern design.
Modern is such a funny word, especially in relation to aircraft tech and tactics. Humans stopped designing aircraft a bit before spaceships pretty much made them obsolete, and lots of tactics were forgotten or deemed impractical for these sorts of situations. "Modern" Aircraft are now just a good way to bring things through big caves at unmatched speeds without risking an expensive spacecraft. That’s my theory anyway.

>Since you can actually see them clearly, aren't you in 'knife fight in a phone booth' range??
These caves can have fairly tight turns, meaning it's difficult to get a direct line of sight at a far range. This forces confrontations to be closer together, which is good for us, I guess.

>shouldn't you outnumber them by well over a 10:1 ratio?
Building planes is one thing, training pilots is another.

>why aren't you being escorted by jet fighters?
We spread ourselves too thin as it is. Summit is a big company, but we don't realistically have the resources to reinforce everything.

>You are underestimating the usefulness of a second pilot in this situation.
Maybe. But Bry is a natural, why else would they give him such a nice uniform? I'm just a helping (robotic) hand to him anyway.

>Perhaps they want to take the cargo so rather than risk vaporizing it with a missile they're trying to force a landing with precision weapons
That makes sense, but not even I know about the cargo, how does a rival company? I doubt this is an uncoordinated attack, something might be up.

>Get in the turrets and shoot back! This isn't just a flying fortress, it's a flying Superfortress! It's time for the old ways of bomber self-reliance to make a comeback.
Now that's what I'm talking about!
I haul myself through the tunnel and start crawling my way towards a turret. I stop just below the top turret before meeting up with a couple crew members.

"Coil! What's the situation looking like?"
"We're getting shot at. I was thinking one of you could fill me in."
>"We're in the process of shooting back, but we don't seem to be making much of an impact."
"Not like I can tell, I can't see a damn thing."
"What's the issue? They got shields or something?"
>"Could be. I've noticed a few important facts so far. One, both of these guys fly completely different. One is an amateur and the other is clearly more experienced. The rookie is firing more and missing his shots, and the vet is dodging more and positioning himself better."
"Like that information is going to be helpful."
>"There is another thing. Whenever we try to land a hit, force field shielding appears to protect them. This would be a problem if not for one thing - we hit the rookie plane once on a non-critical point."
"What does that mean?"
>"Means their shields aren’t on all the time. Trouble is finding out when exactly they become vulnerable. Then again, this could all be a question of which plane we should try to shoot down first."
>>
No. 1035977 ID: b0b5f8

They probably need to lower their shields when firing!
>>
No. 1035978 ID: 899c9f

You should practice your aim on the rookie to get a feel for when the shields go down, then apply that to the veteran, who knows when his shields are down, but you know that he knows, and he knows that you know that he knows, and thus the mind games will begin.
>>
No. 1035979 ID: 2aa5f0

take down rookie so the other plane doesn't have a wingman, also can you radio the other bombers and have them focus fire on the two planes with you to give them less options to dodge or would that be a no go?
>>
No. 1035980 ID: 5d9787

So shot when they are shooting. The rookie will give us more opportunities than the veteran.

Can the sect even aim?
If she can have her focusing on the rookie enemy regardless of who the tobaks focus on. Whenever there is light coming from him direction send bullets in his general direction.
If everything is a blur from this distance independent of the light levels she could accompany one of the tobaks and help with the controls. That is assuming there are buttons to press or change of ammunition that four extra arms could be useful at handling, I don't actually know if this is the case.

Unless there is a chance that they will run out of bullets, which I doubt, the rookie won't be much less dangerous than the veteran. So it's better to eliminate him first.
>>
No. 1035981 ID: 273c18

>>1035976
You're wearing two pieces of eye protection, and you have a spare set of goggles too? What prompted such overkill?

That Sect looks different... do Sect from different hives have significant differences in anatomy? Or is she some sort of mutant?

I'm going to agree on that the shields go down when they shoot. That's why you got the hit on the rookie without knowing the trick- his shields are down more often because he's attacking more. My inner scientist says to confirm the theory by testing on the rookie since you have more opportunities to do so, then using the confirmed theory to take out the skilled pilot since he's more of a threat.
>>
No. 1035987 ID: b01382

>>1035977
This, their shields probably arent one-way where bullets leave the ship and can enter. So, their shields turn off briefly to fire, before theyre up again. Relay this information to the gunners that havent figured this out yet.
>>
No. 1035989 ID: b01382

>>1035976
Wait a second, is that a male or female sect? I thought only the males were short, or are those chest impressions something else? Chitin plates?
>>
No. 1035991 ID: 01fe07

>>1035977
This sounds about right.
>>
No. 1035993 ID: 8d8f29

>>1035976
Are we being hailed over the radio?

>Humans stopped designing aircraft a bit before spaceships pretty much made them obsolete
Clearly you have not heard of aerospace fighters.

>Shields not up all the time.
That could be because you are (presumably) shooting bullets at them. Shields are most likely designed to stop railgun rounds and lasers. Bullets may be reaching the lower limit of how slow of a projectile they can stop. Some bullets may get through. Keep unloading. There are five turrets, fire at both.
>>
No. 1035995 ID: c28082

>>1035976

Either not on all the time or limited to specific vital areas to limit the energy cost, if they're using energy weapons as well, since having a full-out reactor on those things would probably make them too unwieldy.

It might be smartest to try to disable the fighters by INTENTIONALLY shooting at non-critical parts outside the fuselage, to either damage ailerons or flaps to prevent them from maneuvering.

We shouldn't focus on the rookie entirely, however, as that might be a feint intended to keep us occupied with the veteran wears us down. Trying to focus on both, however, just means thinning our offense, so we should target whichever is lining up for a shot or moves nearest, thus forcing THEM onto the defensive.
>>
No. 1036003 ID: 7faf10

>>1035977
Most likely scenario. Try shooting them while they fire. If you don't hit them, it will at least make them take maneuvers and make you harder to hit.
>>
No. 1036004 ID: dee951

>>1035993

Agree on the aerospace fighters thing! Spaceplanes should be a thing, yaknow? Just because you have spaceships which can take the ultimate high ground above a given gravity well doesn't make ALL forms of air based combat obsolete!
>>
No. 1036018 ID: 9bcb00

It sounds like we need to be shooting them at the same time they shoot at us. It's all a matter of getting the timing just right.
>>
No. 1036154 ID: 2edd05
File 165632186965.png - (248.68KB , 800x600 , TQ15.png )
1036154

>do Sect from different hives have significant differences in anatomy?
Yep! They say that no two sect are the same. Some hives can look similar, but they generally look vastly different, especially depending on which biome you visit. Some have two arms, others have four, I've even heard that some can have four legs. I have also heard that some can fly, but that seems to just be an urban legend.
>is that a male or female sect? I thought only the males were short
That is a female, it isn't just the males that are short. Sect aren't like tobaks, both the males and females are the same size with the exception of the queens and royal guards. In the case of most types, drones are even slightly smaller than tobak males.
>Can the sect even aim?
She can't see much, so I'm thinking not really. She does stuff like radio transmissions, navigation, putting fires out and stuff like that.

>Clearly you have not heard of aerospace fighters.
I have heard of stuff like that, but I have never seen any of it flown in a cave. Building one down here seems like a waste, as all that fancy space travel tech wouldn't see good use here. Actually... I'm curious if someone like me could ever make it as a space pilot, as if a tobak would ever be let anywhere near an FTL warp drive.

>You're wearing two pieces of eye protection, and you have a spare set of goggles too? What prompted such overkill?
Because I don't want to get blinded, and totes not because of any other reason!

>There are five turrets, fire at both.
The problem seems to be that not all of our turrets can reach them. We have two on the top, two on the bottom and one on the back. Only a couple seem capable of getting a good shot at them from some angles. Some fire machine gun rounds - the others fire rail gun rounds.

I clamber to the turret remote control system that operates the machine gun turret to the bottom. I can also switch control to the front bottom turret which operates a rail gun, which could probably make quick work of these guys if they didn’t have shields.

I look outside the window to try see if I can spot anything, but it's completely dark out there. Is this really what aliens see, all the time? Luckily, we have spotlights attached to the turrets so we can see our targets better.
>>
No. 1036155 ID: 2edd05
File 165632188840.png - (244.09KB , 800x600 , TQ16.png )
1036155

>They probably need to lower their shields when firing!
Possibly... it sounds risky, but it also makes sense. The rookie got hit because he always has his weapons on, which means he is exposed longer. It might be a good idea to test this theory on him.

I turn the turret towards the rookie flying in the plane marked with the number '5' and I get ready to fire in his general direction, looking to get a shot in on the wings or fins. I wait for him strike and before too long, he lets out a spray of shots with me responding with my own shots shortly after.

Boom! A few of the bullets make contact with the enemy jet, ripping through some of the light armor! Looks like the theory was correct, their armor turns off when they are firing!

The rookie reacts by backing off, but he hasn't withdrawn yet. He has stopped firing while trying to stabilise his movements, his shield protecting him no doubt. It won't be long before he tries firing again.

I alert the rest of the crew to the discovery over the radio system.
>"T-that's good news! Unfortunately, this 'veteran' of ours seems to know better, and hasn't taken a single hit, not even on his armor. His manoeuvrability is impressive, dodging shots with ease. He is so close to us that the tail gun can't reach him, and I can't get any good hits on him without shredding our back fin. He is starting to move below my firing range, positioning himself behind our right-side engines, looks like he is looking to finally make a move."

I feel confident that I can take out the rookie from here, but the vet might require my attention. Deciding on what ammo type to use may also be of consideration.
>>
No. 1036156 ID: b0b5f8

How good are this plane's airbrakes? Suddenly slowing down and causing the vet to overshoot would be good, but if he stops shooting that might not help that much.
You probably need to radio a fellow bomber for help, to cover your dead angles while you bait him into shooting.
>>
No. 1036158 ID: 30b9f6

Swap to rail gun mode. Aim and hold fire, waiting to nail the veteran as he swoops in. Full on ignore the rookie now.
>>
No. 1036159 ID: 273c18

>>1036155
The rookie is missing his shots, let him go for now. The veteran thinks he's about to do some serious damage so take him out.
Railgun rounds sound stronger, use some of those. Also I'd guess the projectile speed is higher which means you have a chance of taking him down like a half second earlier which could be important.
Make sure to fire only when you know you can hit him. If you're peppering his shields he won't lower them to attack, because he's smart.
>>
No. 1036162 ID: b01382

>>1036156
>>1036158
>>1036159
These are all great points. Breaking to decelerate might spook the fighter and cause them to overshoot, also there are multiple turrets? We should try collaborating with another turret operate to align the railgun with the veteran as we lay down suppressive fire, or "pretend to" shoot him so we don't cause him to back off entirely, but draw enough attention where he won't pay the railgun any mind?
>>
No. 1036165 ID: be2ac4

A good railgun shot on the veteran.
>>
No. 1036167 ID: 2aa5f0

probably going to need to railgun the veteran because he's the bigger threat right now and you're probably only going to get one shot on the guy before he falls back or takes out and engine.
>>
No. 1036170 ID: ce39da

Yeah, radio up to your copilot to break as you get into position to shoot the vet when he does.
>>
No. 1036174 ID: 75b9a4

Armored or not, a plane’s still a fragile thing, and you need to hit him as soon as possible. Switch focus to the veteran, and use machine guns!
>>
No. 1036178 ID: 8d8f29

>>1036156
B-29 doesn't have airbrakes, unfortunately.

>>1036162
This is the play. Have one gunner cow them into the stream of another gunner. Railgun probably has to cool down for half a second or so (maybe longer) between firing, so it should be used as the knockout punch (also it will ignite the oxygen in the atmosphere as it flies out so it will make a pretty big bright fireball, prep for it).
>>
No. 1036179 ID: 8d8f29

>>1036178
Also, even if the vet has his shields on the whole time, if they get hit constantly in the same hemisphere, they should weaken there (at least until they stop getting hit on that part and can remesh the hardlight or whatever they are using for a shield). If you keep the pressure on and keep them from flying off, you could bust through with brute force.
>>
No. 1036199 ID: fe225b

>>1036178
>This is the play. Have one gunner cow them into the stream of another gunner.
I like this plan!
>>
No. 1036267 ID: c28082

>>1036199

obligatory "don't cross the streams" post
>>
No. 1036331 ID: 2edd05
File 165640783108.png - (186.50KB , 800x600 , TQ17.png )
1036331

>radio a fellow bomber for help
We moved away from the pack a while ago, it is likely that help would not arrive in time.

>How good are this plane's airbrakes?
Not very good - which is to say: non-existent! For some reason, only our dive bombers have those. It wouldn't help much if we had air brakes anyway because we are already going as slow as we can (Flying too fast through caves is a bad idea!) Because of that, our manoeuvrability options in general are a little limited.

>Swap to rail gun mode. Aim and hold fire, waiting to nail the veteran as he swoops in. Full on ignore the rookie now.
Seems like a good idea. I swap the turret I am operating to the rail gun, and I take aim.

>Make sure to fire only when you know you can hit him
He has been pretty quiet in terms of attacking, he hasn't fired any shots yet - so I'll fire when he takes his first shot, that is when he'll least expect it!

I bring my attention off the rookie jet and to the veteran on our right. I watch the plane closely

I wait and I wait, until he suddenly starts his attack - I squeeze the button and take the shot!

The shot lands squarely, directly, precisely in the centre of his shield, and bounces off harmlessly.

Huh?

Wait... He only fired once, and his shields came back up just as I pressed the fire button. Why did he stop firing?
>>
No. 1036332 ID: 2edd05
File 165640785445.png - (195.38KB , 800x600 , TQ18.png )
1036332

Not even a second later, the vet unloads a volley of shots directly onto engine 3 as I wait for the rail gun to cycle another round. Engine 3 bursts into flames and the propeller slowly stops spinning, effectively becoming useless.

>"What was that? What the hell just happened?" A voice from the radio calls out.
"I don't mean to be of alarm, but it would seem as though one of our engines has ceased functioning. Don't worry though, as long as the engine next to it stays working, we should be able to continue flying just fine... Please, do make sure that the engine next to engine 3 stays functioning, will you?"
Fletcher pitches in
>"Looks like this piece of junk is going down. I'm putting my platoon's parachutes on, and we are getting ready to jump out the moment this thing can't get us to our destination."
"No need to be hasty. We can get this setback sorted out."
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor! Let us take care of this!"
>"You better. I have my hand over the door handle, just in case. I suggest you guys put on your parachutes as well."

I was right about one thing; the veteran seriously is the biggest threat right now.
>>
No. 1036333 ID: 2edd05
File 165640787668.png - (213.35KB , 800x600 , TQ19.png )
1036333

I pick up a pair of binoculars and look closer at the veteran's plane. I can get a clear look at the pilot...

He's looking at me, how...

Wait.

He knew.

He knew I figured out how their shields worked, he knew I would fire a railgun round at him the moment he started firing! He knew what my target was and knew when I would attack! he feigned his initial attack so I would waste my shot to create an opening!

Auuuugh! I hate going up against people who are smarter than me! I suck at chess for this very reason, but I can't even cheat in a situation like this! Talk about unfair.

Still, I'm not going to let this smug salad alien get away with this! I now know one useful piece of information; His next target is for certain going to be the other engine, that is the fastest way to take us down and he isn't even pretending like he won't go for it.

>Bust through the shield with brute force.
That could be possible. Even though my shot didn't go through, it probably weakened that part of the shield, hitting the same place might be enough to force a projectile's entry.

>This is the play: Have one gunner cow them into the stream of another gunner.
This could work. It would certainly get him away from the engines - but I'm not sure if he will lower his guard enough for us to touch him. Worth a try though.

I can even go for the same strategy of trying to fire the railgun when he fires, but I'm not sure if he will feint again or not. If I fail to take him down before he takes out our other engine, we are toast.
>>
No. 1036334 ID: 273c18

>>1036333
Hmm, nah, he's too good. Just play defensively, spray him down whenever he's in the right area to shoot. Have someone pelt him with a railgun occasionally to see if the shields eventually go down- he'll probably retreat when they get too weak, at which point you can take out the rookie. Heck, you could all try focus firing on him with railgun shots to punch through, by staggering your fire so he doesn't have an opening to shoot.

...use your binocs to check the rookie. Make sure he's not another veteran acting as bait.
>>
No. 1036335 ID: 4b8164

How quick can you switch between firing modes? Could you fire the rail gun then switch over to the auto canon to pepper him when he thinks he’s safe?

Also those marks on the side of the plan make me think he’s shot down mountains. I mean all those white makes have to mean how many things he’s shot down, but the ones under her window look like mountains to me and I’m wondering why he’s shooting mountains?
>>
No. 1036338 ID: 30b9f6

Parachute on!

Baiting your shot was damn clever, especially considering you'd been spraying earlier and there was no reason to believe you'd shift to railgun. Then again, baiting would've worked in either case, and since you weren't using a machine gun he could just go ahead with his initial approach. Man, this guy looks for win-wins. You gotta put him in a lose-lose!

>>1036333
And that's a stupidly impressive list of takedowns. He's smart, he knows what works, and if he doesn't want to waste any more time or risks, he'll definitely go for the other engine just to get this over with.

He'll definitely try to trick you again - as mentioned, if both approaches works it costs him nothing to try. Even if you shift to machine gun fire, one gun doesn't have the volume of fire needed to constantly keep him away. It'll overheat or run dry and whatnot, right? All he has to do is to keep attack runs, dodging, shields up. If he's really clever he'll know the specs of these machines. He'll know roughly how much ammo you can afford to shoot on a clip, how much continuous fire is liable to make it overheat and jam.

... hm. Maybe he can be too clever. Or you. One of you.

Hot reload a fresh ammo crate - have more ammo than he thinks you do. Just be careful not to overheat the barrel as you spray wildly to 'keep him away' or 'get lucky'. Count shots if you can - he might be, and he knows you wasted some ammo on the Rookie. Don't give any indication you're reloading on the sly, track him with the guns when you can. Soliciting some help to get the reloading done quick might be good - is the Sect tech still free? Hard to put out engine fires on the outside.
>>
No. 1036340 ID: 8824ae

>>1036335
Name of the company is Summit. Those are all company logos.
>>
No. 1036350 ID: f57349

You don't necessarily need to punch through the shield with a projectile that's still going full speed. Try to line it up so that bullets get sucked into his jet intake, maybe after bouncing off once and thus matching speed - shield might not react to a relatively low-velocity impact but jet turbines absolutely will.
>>
No. 1036358 ID: 598559

>>1036333
Wait you said these tunnels were tight? Could you shoot the cave ceiling so that a bunch of rubble falls in front of his plane? I wonder how his shield would react to a bunch of massive relatively slow objects as opposed to tiny fast objects.
>>
No. 1036359 ID: 708905

>>1036358
Or dust in the air intakes
>>
No. 1036365 ID: d084c2

You can’t underestimate him like that. You already know he’s a veteran, and knows enough to counter basic counter strategies! Use the bullets to try and get through on sheer volume, you will not outsnipe him.
…I wonder if the air intakes really are a weak point. How’s the air getting through the shield if the bullets won’t?
>>
No. 1036370 ID: 30b9f6

>>1036358
WE can't shoot loose roof shingles - being the bottom gunner - but maybe the top gunners can?
>>
No. 1036371 ID: 761d3b

You could be the next target, be prepared to jump out of the turret. Defeating the bigger treath is the priority after all.

How much time you have left to reach a safe place? Are all reinforcements out of reach? Maybe you all can storm him with fire and negate him the oportunity to attack. A drawn is a win with enought luck and board control.
>>
No. 1036372 ID: 6a2a09

oh man, thats a lot of kills marked on that plane
>>
No. 1036381 ID: 63cbf0

>>1036332
>parachutes
If everyone needs to jump out, you all better hope these pilots aren't a bunch of assholes that would shoot you while you're helplessly floating down in your parachutes!

>>1036333
He's currently not wearing anything on his eyes. Would it be possible to blind him? Do we have any spotlights that can aim towards him?

Or we could keep spraying him with the machine guns and have someone else shoot their railgun at him. He'll need to keep his shield up to avoid the machine gun shots and the railgun will keep weakening his shields.

He'll eventually need to back off so he doesn't lose his shields.
>>
No. 1036385 ID: 30b9f6

>>1036381
>Not wearing goggles
Gonna guess he's not a Tobak, but a Miklik, considering how green he looks.

Edevane is the miklik corp, after all! If anything, the Rookie might be a Tobak? This guy, though? Probably a well-trained ace imported from offworld!
>>
No. 1036395 ID: 7c0da2

The plane can't brake or accelerate, and turning won't help, but maybe it can gain or lose altitude quickly? It could allow the top gunner to fire an unexpected shot? But if he is smart he will probably anticipate that.
You could also take advantage of the rookie and herd him on a collision course with the veteran using machine gun fire (and help from the other gunners), and maybe a well timed railgun shot to damage him so he can't avoid the vet? I doubt his shield could block that, and even if the veteran dodges the rookie, that's still one less plane to worry about, assuming you manage to shoot the rookie down.

Also, quick, while he is looking at you, make a rude gesture!
>>
No. 1036595 ID: 2edd05
File 165659994721.png - (245.17KB , 800x600 , TQ20.png )
1036595

>while he is looking at you, make a rude gesture!
I stick out my tongue while giving a biiiiig disapproving robo-thumbs down, the rudest gestures I can think of. I loudly proclaim (in my head) that his mother was a mudskimmer and his father smelt of glowberries.

>Gonna guess he's not a Tobak, but a Miklik, considering how green he looks.
That checks out. He doesn't seem to be wearing his goggles because night vision doesn't work that well in a lit firefight. Or maybe he is taunting me in some kind of alien gesture I don't understand.
>Edevane is the miklik corp, after all! If anything, the Rookie might be a Tobak? This guy, though? Probably a well-trained ace imported from offworld!
That's probably it! No way someone gets this much experience flying in caves all day. When there's a job a local can't do, they always get offworld talent!
>Would it be possible to blind him?
He's an alien. A plant alien! lights only make him stronger!

>How quick can you switch between firing modes?
Pretty much instantly, but if I want to fire both turrets at a constant rate, I need to get another turret operator to take control of the other turret.

>those marks on the side of the plan make me think he’s shot down mountains
Those are the summit company logo! he probably thinks he's some kinda big shot for shooting down poor defenceless super fortresses. We'll show him!

>Parachute on!
I'll be sure to put a parachute on just in case.

>Could you shoot the cave ceiling so that a bunch of rubble falls in front of his plane?
I have no doubts that somebody has tried that trick on him before and failed. I wouldn't be surprised if he is prepared for such a scenario - he's too smart for that!

>How much time do you have left to reach a safe place?
Not enough! This guy could shoot us down before we get there.

>This guy looks for win-wins. You gotta put him in a lose-lose!
Isn’t that the truth! The only way I can think of beating this guy is by thinking of a plan so unthinkable, that even he can't think of it! Just gotta think, and I gotta make it quick before I get a headache from it.
>>
No. 1036596 ID: 2edd05
File 165659997485.png - (324.73KB , 800x600 , TQ21.png )
1036596

>He'll definitely try to trick you again - as mentioned, if both approaches work it costs him nothing to try. Even if you shift to machine gun fire, one gun doesn't have the volume of fire needed to constantly keep him away. It'll overheat or run dry and whatnot, right? All he has to do is to keep attack runs, dodging, shields up. If he's really clever he'll know the specs of these machines. He'll know roughly how much ammo you can afford to shoot on a clip, how much continuous fire is liable to make it overheat and jam.
I'm willing to bet so. A guy like this is probably more familiar with these kinds of planes than I am. He probably knows of flaws that I'm not even aware of.
>... hm. Maybe he can be too clever. Or you. One of you.
Oh?
>Hot reload a fresh ammo crate - have more ammo than he thinks you do. Just be careful not to overheat the barrel as you spray wildly to 'keep him away' or 'get lucky'. Count shots if you can - he might be, and he knows you wasted some ammo on the Rookie. Don't give any indication you're reloading on the sly, track him with the guns when you can. Soliciting some help to get the reloading done quick might be good - is the Sect tech still free? Hard to put out engine fires on the outside.
>Yeah... I think she's free. This plan sounds logically sound enough to work!

I use the radio to communicate with the four-armed sect
"Hey Freya, you got a minute?"
>"O-oh, yeah?"
"I have something I need you to do."
>"Beats trying to put out that engine fire. What do you need?"
"I need you to hook up a fresh ammo crate to the bottom rear turret, I need to keep it firing so I have more rounds than this hot shot ace pilot thinks I do. Try hook up a belt as I'm firing, I don't want to give away what I'm doing."
>"That sounds... do you think that'd work?"
"I'm thinking it's worth a try!"
>"Aren't you worried about the gun overheating? Or jamming?"
"A risk I need to take."
>"Well... Ok. I'm loading the belt from a fresh ammo crate now. Make it count because we're all counting on you."
>>
No. 1036597 ID: 2edd05
File 165659999380.png - (201.81KB , 800x600 , TQ22.png )
1036597

I train the machine gun turret on the ace pilot's fighter jet. He makes little attempt to dodge the shot as he is staying in place for the opportunity to take out engine 4. So long as I am firing, he won't get that opportunity, which is why it looks like he is waiting for an opening in my firing pattern to make the decisive move.

I get on the radio to another turret operator, and I tell him to train the railgun turret on the ace fighter's jet, and to continuously fire as fast as he can, even if he can’t get past the shield. He fires the rail gun, but there is a noticeably large attack window in the time it takes to reload. The machine gun turret is the only thing stopping the ace from shooting us down right here and now.

The barrage of bullets continues for seconds, which turn to minutes. The shield is holding up, possibly because they gave this pilot something able to withstand this kind of attack.
>>
No. 1036598 ID: 2edd05
File 165660001438.png - (263.59KB , 800x600 , TQ23.png )
1036598

Despite my efforts to pace my shots, the machine gun turret is no doubt getting hot, really hot. The shots are becoming less accurate, and the risk of jamming is becoming a more likely possibility by the second. It is starting to emit a glow that even I can see from my window, and the ace can no doubt see it too. He is waiting for the moment the gun gives out. At one moment, the turret reaches the point where it runs out of ammunition on a regular fully loaded capacity, and the firing of bullets abruptly stop.
>>
No. 1036599 ID: 2edd05
File 165660003086.png - (299.28KB , 800x600 , TQ24.png )
1036599

This was it, the perfect opportunity for attack. The machine gun had run out of ammo and the rail gun was early in its reloading cycle. This is the perfect time to strike for the ace.

Or at least it would have been if I hadn't gotten the turret reloaded mid-fire.

I slam the trigger back down after that masterful feint and continue my barrage on a gun that is on the verge of practically melting from the heat.

My suspicions were correct, this was the moment he has let his guard down. The bullets spray far off in wildly different directions, but most manage to land on different parts on the plane, some hitting the body, others hitting the wings, and a few stray shots manage to hit the glass of the cockpit.
>>
No. 1036600 ID: 2edd05
File 165660005076.png - (255.76KB , 800x600 , TQ25.png )
1036600

The ace pilot's plane flies far ahead, soon emitting a load crashing sound that can be heard far and wide. We soon approach a fiery, smoking pile of destroyed plane. looks like the nuclear-powered reactor must've gone off. It brings me great joy thinking of the millions of zeny that just went down the drain.

I wonder if that pilot is ok.
>>
No. 1036602 ID: 8d838a

He probably ejected.
Well that turret’s probably shot, but it was worth it. Don’t forget about the rookie.
>>
No. 1036604 ID: 36784c

>>1036600
>I wonder if that pilot is ok.
I’m pretty sure he’s dead.

Don’t relax yet, you’ve still got another enemy to worry about! And don’t use your turret, it’s overheated too much! Have someone else shoot the other guy down!
>>
No. 1036606 ID: 708905

>>1036600
Yeeah prett sure the ace gained some fresh head holes which kills pretty much any species.
Also don't forget the rookie, he's not as good but your gun is in rough shape
>>
No. 1036607 ID: 04487d

Outplayed ‘im, aw yeah! Maybe you should try your hand at chess again, you just need to do something so unexpected your opponent can’t predict or take advantage of it.

>>1036600
If a nuclear-powered reactor went off, I’m wondering if you are okay.

Also, let’s not celebrate too early. Rookie’s still out there, yeah?
>>
No. 1036608 ID: 2aa5f0

I'm sure he's fine but right now you still have one plan to worry about and your gun is basically fried right now and needs to cool before it melts or jams. Either switch to the rail gun to see if you can't snipe the rookie (if he hasn't fled) or act as a spotter for your buddy on the railgun to help him time his shots with the rookie powering down their shields.
>>
No. 1036609 ID: 2fce91

Switch to a new gun. That one needs to cool down unless you want to turn it into useless slag.
If the engine is still on fire, tell the pilot to shut it down. That should stop the fire. I know the prop stopped spinning but the engine is still on fire so that seems to indicate that the engine is still running, but not engaging the prop. The wing fuel tanks are self-sealing so the fire has to be from the engine.
Start searching for the remaining plane. Since you are in a tunnel, they can't exactly pull off, so they must still be there.

Also scratch a tally down on the wall.

>>1036607
Reactor explosions aren't like nuclear bombs.
>>
No. 1036611 ID: 7c0da2

The rookie may want to avenge the other pilot, be careful.
>>
No. 1036612 ID: 6a2a09

You know it would *totally* suck if it turns out the rookie is actually another ace pilot in disguise
>>
No. 1036613 ID: c28082

>>1036600

He's a plant. Stick him in the dirt and water him like a thirsty flower and maybe he'll be alright. I think.
>>
No. 1036621 ID: 5d9787

Well, congratulations! No time for celebrations, but you can afford to announce your success on the radio.

It's amusing we've been show the pilot death when Coil haven't see such scene.
Would you prefer for the ace to survive? I'm not sure if you would fear meeting him again or if you feel respect for a fellow pilot.

Unfortunately we still have to endure a few shots from the rookie to take him down, and the turret that better cover the vulnerable engine is currently overheating. Ideally we would keep him away from our right wing with suppressive fire and offer opportunities on the left, but that may not be an option.
If we have to take damage on the remaining right engine, don't lose your chance of taking the enemy down at the same time. The parachute fall will be much less dangerous without a jet shooting at us.
>>
No. 1036623 ID: b0b5f8

Too bad you're not the radio officer, you can't contact the second bogey and tell him to SUBMIT TO SUMMIT or be destroyed.
>>
No. 1036630 ID: f91343

>I wonder if that pilot is ok.
Plants and fire don't go hand to hand, so i doubt he's ok, being surrounded by fire and possible high caliber rounds inside his body.

Now we can pay attention on our own damage. Put that fire out and check the condition on the turret.
>>
No. 1036631 ID: a9af05

>>1036630
>Now we can pay attention on our own damage.
Not until we take out that last hostile! The rookie is still around here somewhere!
>>
No. 1036765 ID: 2edd05
File 165677378060.png - (220.75KB , 800x600 , TQ26.png )
1036765

>"No time for celebrations, but you can afford to announce your success on the radio."
"I stuck a fork in the ace, he won't be a problem anymore!"
>"Hell yeah!"
"I knew you could do it, I was rooting for you the whole time! now why don't you come up to the front with me?~."
>"Coil did that? He's annoying as hell but I gotta give him credit."
"Thank god that paid off! looks like we live to fly another day..."
>"Yeah, Coil gets on my nerves too but at least he didn't screw up for once."

Ah, such kind praises...

Fletcher's voice comes on over the call.
>"Congratulations. Looks like we won't be jumping out after all - but I'm getting everyone to keep parachutes on in case anything happens in the next ten minutes."

>Too bad you're not the radio officer, you can't contact the second bogey and tell him to SUBMIT TO SUMMIT or be destroyed.
Oooooh I like that, I need to write that in big letters right next to the shiny new Edevane decal I get to put on the front of this plane.

>The rookie may want to avenge the other pilot, be careful.
He must be doing it from very far away because I can't see him anywhere.

>worry about the rookie
Right, right. I should ask on the radio what happened to him.
>"That other guy? He flew far ahead whilst you were firing at the ace. We put a lot of holes in him, and he is losing altitude fast. I doubt he'll make it back to his base, and his chances of finding a landing spot out here are pretty slim, so I think it's fair to say that he is done for. I'm still keeping an eye out, but I really doubt we'll see him again."

>The state of the machine turret
It's jammed, and even if it wasn't, it is almost out of ammo. Not getting much use out of this in the future.

I crawl my way through the tunnel back towards the front of the plane so that I can return back to my co-piloting position, but I am suddenly stopped upon hearing a conversation that I'm not being involved in. Oh, would you look at that? It's what's her name... Sam! She seems to be speaking into some kinda PDA device, one they must give to their security teams, because it doesn't look much like a summit PDA.

>"H-how was I supposed to know they were going to fight them off? and win? "

...

>"Y-... yes! I saw it! They got the professional guy! Fletcher says we're not jumping anymore."

...

>"Plan B? Y-you didn't tell me about a plan B!"

...

>"Why? What's going to happen to the back of the plane?"

...

>"The blue suitcase? What's inside the-... right, right... I get it, deliver it to where you ask, and if I do that... you guys will pay off all the debt, and make the charges go away, right?"

...

"Hello? Mister Tan? Are you there?"
>>
No. 1036767 ID: 967bee

Well, that was.... unussually expository. Is she framing herself on purpose?

Well, we might as well run and inform Fletcher, anyway. Time for her to earn HER money's worth!
>>
No. 1036768 ID: b0b5f8

Try to crawl back silently before she notices you're here.
>>
No. 1036769 ID: 5feb6e

Traitor!! Attack!
>>
No. 1036770 ID: 899c9f

Before you speak to her, you should probably demonstrate how to disconnect the battery on the laser rifle.
>>
No. 1036771 ID: 00e87a

The blue suitcase might be a bomb. Probably want to go deal with that right now.
>>
No. 1036772 ID: f91343

Forget about the traitor for now, find that suitcase ASAP and dispose of it!
>>
No. 1036773 ID: 36784c

>>1036765
Can you privately radio Fletcher? If you can, you should tell her about this traitor so she can do something while you go look for that blue suitcase!
>>
No. 1036775 ID: ce39da

This is bad; there's almost certainly a bomb in that blue suitcase, and while we know where it's going, we don't know where it is right now. Unless he has some other way of tracking the bomb's relative position inside a moving plane, 'Mr. Tan' will need verbal confirmation that it's properly placed, whether it's from Sam or another agent. He's going to call again, and I'm thinking the suitcase is gonna go "boom" regardless of whether he thinks things are going to plan.

Walk away quietly and Radio Fletcher. Tell her to have everyone look for a blue suitcase NOW; you just overheard a Belenos named Sam having a convo with a 'Mr. Tan' (as if Tobaks wouldn't instantly get such a classic movie reference) about planting a bomb that's kept in it.

Of course, if she and the other soldiers are in the same room, you can call Sam out on her 'mission' right here, loud enough for everyone to hear.
>>
No. 1036779 ID: b0b5f8

I'm not the blue suitcase is a bomb, since it may be what she's asked to deliver (the syntax is ambiguous). So it can be the "some kind of container" the soldiers are guarding... or it can be a bomb.

Either way, that's for Fletcher and co to handle. Just warn them about it.
>>
No. 1036789 ID: 7c0da2

Try taking/disabling her rifle while she is not looking before doing anything noisy like alerting the rest of the crew or talking to her.
>>
No. 1036791 ID: c28082

>>1036765

Uh oh. Sounds like we got a big white horned MOLE in our midst!

(you know, those weird Earth critters from those monster movies, or whatever)

Sounds like our buddy Sam needs a chaperone and maybe also to talk with Fletcher, since like, it's TOTALLY easy for new recruits to get lost in these planes, right? Be awful if she got stuck somewhere, being so big and all.
>>
No. 1036793 ID: b0b5f8

Oooh! Alternately, you could tell her that you know of a very good way for her employer to wipe her debt, criminal record and a potential witness, and she's not going to like it.

Turn her against her boss. Him not telling her about his "plan B" should make it easier to sell.
>>
No. 1036804 ID: 9a2966

>>1036765
Yoink her gun while her back's turned for safety's sake? Speaking of safety, remember to turn it off, too!

And immediately radio in and tell everyone to get away from the back of the plane if they can! And it definitely wasn't you who screwed up a thing this time!

(saying that last thing might get their asses moving faster, if for some reason they are ready to believe that you have, indeed, screwed something up this time)

Oh, and parachute's still in reach, yeah?
>>
No. 1036824 ID: 798908

>>1036765
IT IS TIME TO GERMAN SUPLEX THE TRAITOR
>>
No. 1036828 ID: 36784c

>>1036824
She’s too big for a tiny male tobak to suplex!
>>
No. 1036829 ID: 422cea

>>1036765
Yoink her weapon and unload it's ammo.
>>
No. 1036833 ID: 5d9787

Your mechanical hands are good at grappling? I hope you at least have this as an advantage in a possible physical altercation in a tight space with someone twice your height.
If it comes to that you should at least break her wrist before she beat the shit out of you.

Sam, please rethink your options. How sure are you will receive a reward and not an execution? If we fall you will have to cross the dark caves, and believe me this is no place for an alien like you to be alone. Help me get this plane to safety and we can deal with your problems by talking. Thrust me, I will be there for you after we get to safety.
>>
No. 1036840 ID: 54662a

>>1036824
I concur on this course of action. Spike those horns deep into the ground to keep her from being able to get away while we deal with the suitcase/interrogate her.
>>
No. 1036850 ID: 2aa5f0

whelp time to find that blue suitcase and see what's inside. Then once you have evidence then go show someone because with your reputation I'm sure someone wouldn't believe you if you just told someone. Guess that's just the curse of being the life of the party because people seem to have trouble telling when you're serious or not.
>>
No. 1036862 ID: 15a025

"Blue suit case? Eugh...hope that isn't the one over by engine three."
>>
No. 1036896 ID: b01382

>>1036765
For an off worlder you sure are gulible. You think theyll keep their word on helping you?
>>
No. 1036905 ID: 2fce91

>>1036862
Afaik the B-29 does not have passageways for people or storage in the wings. In fact, I am pretty sure they are narrow enough it would be physically impossible.

Anyhoo, discretely message someone about the situation and look for the bomb.
>>
No. 1036918 ID: 2edd05
File 165687089114.png - (203.02KB , 800x600 , TQ27.png )
1036918

>The blue suitcase might be a bomb. Probably want to go deal with that right now.
Uh oh. Bombs and planes don't mix.

I look around Sam, and the entire room, but I can't seem to spot a suitcase anywhere, blue or otherwise. It must be somewhere else.

>Can you privately radio Fletcher?
I don't have access to her private frequency, it seems my device has specifically been denied access to Fletcher's private frequency. Must be a glitch! Unless I want to use the public frequency, I have to meet with her in person.

>IT IS TIME TO GERMAN SUPLEX THE TRAITOR
Maybe I would if I wasn't so vertically challenged!
>I concur on this course of action. Spike those horns deep into the ground to keep her from being able to get away
I mean it! She has like, a foot and a half on me! If I fight her, I will not win!

>Break her wrist
While my hands are capable of crushing stuff (namely soda cans and soft fruits) I don't want to hurt someone before I know this isn't just one big misunderstanding. Also, she could still probably beat me in a physical fight...

>Yoink her gun
It seems to be strapped to her shoulder; I doubt I'm strong enough to wrestle it from her.

>Try disabling her rifle while she is not looking before doing anything noisy like alerting the rest of the crew or talking to her.
>demonstrate how to disconnect the battery on the laser rifle.
I may have lost my hands, but that doesn't mean I lost my sleight of hand! I creep my way over and remove the battery. I also flick on the safety, for good measure.

I decide not to engage in a conversation with her, as I want to keep this on the down low as not to set people against each other or cause any panic amongst the crew. I instead head to Fletcher as fast and silently as I can, she'll know what to do.
>>
No. 1036919 ID: 2edd05
File 165687090864.png - (304.28KB , 800x600 , TQ28.png )
1036919

"Fletcher!"
>"Don't you dare try to touch my ears, or I'll crush your other... never mind. someone already got to it. "
"This is serious, I need to talk to you."
>"Can it wait? I'm sending in a report to headquarters right now."
"This really can't wait, there might be a bomb on the plane!"
>"What? Where?"
"In a blue suitcase! I'm thinking somewhere towards the back of the plane."
>"A blue... hey, you're not supposed to know about the suitcases. And nobody should be able to sneak something like a bomb on board without me knowing about it."
"I heard Sam say some suspicious stuff, I think you may have a traitor aboard."
>"I don't know anyone who goes by that name. You better not be playing a prank on me."
"I'm not! I heard one of your people talking over a phone thingy about some shady stuff."
>Well... you know about one of the suitcases. I can give you the benefit of the doubt. Don’t worry about the blue suitcase, it’s safe and sound where nobody should be able to access it. So, what exactly is it you want me to do?"
>>
No. 1036920 ID: 6a2a09

Step 1: Find Blue suitcase
Step 2: Check Suitcase for bomb
Step 3: Disarm bomb
Alternatively, throw suitcase out of plane
>>
No. 1036926 ID: 899c9f

It's not just physical access that's the problem, but radio access too! If it's left where it is, it might just kill everyone as well as what they're after. Planes need their tail sections!

Please, just check the suitcase's contents and if it's a bomb then chuck it overboard.
>>
No. 1036927 ID: 7c0da2

Describe "Sam". There probably isn't many white belenosian onboard.
And if the suitcase isn't the bomb, her goal probably is to steal the suitcase. Which means there is a bomb somewhere, but not in the suitcase. Or maybe some sort of ambush?
>>
No. 1036928 ID: 5c9cc3

>>1036919
Inform her to keep that some belonosian lady is going to try and take the blue suitcase and bring it somewhere and that something is going to happen to the back of the plane. It definitely sounded like the two were connected, and if we go by the wise words of Mr. Ockham and his handy dandy razor, theres a high chance that theres a bomb in the blue suitcase that will be placed at the end of the plane and then explode.
>>
No. 1036929 ID: c71800

"Wait, what was that about crushing my other....? Fletcher, did you crush my first hand?"
>>
No. 1036930 ID: 5d9787

Since the clue suitcase isn't the bomb it must be the target. Regardless she mentioned the back of the plane blowing up.
Try to solve the situation with your belenosian with a fake name without damaging the plane. I really want to land safely.

Ears armor? Really? That must be a lot of extra weight on your neck.
>>
No. 1036932 ID: 761d3b

At this point I doubt very much that there is a bomb inside of the suitcase. This seems like a secret mision to make Fletcher's team evacuate the plane. It seems like the enemy want to pick the package without damaging it.

What we know is that something bad is going to happen in this plane's tail, that Sam is a traitor and now is searching for the blue suitcase and that the enemy want to leave the plane.

Let's asume that either they have a bomb already in the tail or they are going to fire something big. It better to evacuate the place before so we don't unnecesary risk our people's lifes (or company assets if need burocratic leverage).

The ideal plan would be to catch Sam and make her talk with the enemy so we can gain time. Telling we have the suitcase in the tail or something like that.
>>
No. 1036935 ID: 273c18

>>1036919
I think we misunderstood, the bomb is something at the back of the plane, but the blue suitcase is what needs to be extracted by the traitor after the bomb goes off.
Anyway, show her who the traitor is, so she can be captured and interrogated. You can help out with bomb discovery and disposal?
>>
No. 1036936 ID: 7c0da2

Maybe Bry has some idea where the bomb could be? He probably knows the plane well.
>>
No. 1036937 ID: 36784c

>>1036919
>So, what exactly is it you want me to do?
Since you're the one with the higher rank, I was hoping you could come up with a plan and tell me what to do!
>>
No. 1036947 ID: c28082

>>1036919

Well, the tall white goat lady (not of the Tobak variety) was talking all frantic to someone about a plan-B and Fletcher's team's NOT having jumping, and needing to get the blue suitcase to the back of the plane, so ...

... maybe see that she doesn't do that? Because it maybe could be a bad thing?
>>
No. 1036952 ID: ce39da

"Okay, so, the bottom line is; something is gonna happen at the back of the plane, and a white-furred belenosian lady dressed as a soldier - claims to go by 'Sam' - is gonna try to get at the blue suitcase and take it somewhere. I say you should make a move on the most known factor, that being the belenosian, and maybe also send someone to find out if there's a bomb waiting in the back of the plane for 'Mr. Tan's' signal or something - maybe I'll do that second part."

As you head off... realize that if a bomb wasn't likely smuggled on board... if you were in the mastermind's shoes and realized you couldn't get that past these guys...

If you don't find a bomb inside, radio your copilot to ask if there's a way to deal with a bomb that might be outside the hull. Mid-flight.
>>
No. 1036953 ID: 2aa5f0

might as well tell her what you overheard, that they wanted the plane to be shot down and everyone forced to jump. Not sure if it would help but she knows more about the mission than you do so she might have a better idea what their end goal is.
>>
No. 1036975 ID: e391d4

She was supposed to deliver it to somewhere. So we have two possible scenarios:

: it has a bomb and the destination is ither this plane, or wherever we are landing.
2: the contents of the suitcase are the target and she was supposed to take it with her when we parachuted off the plane, get away in the confusion.

Neither her or her employers were planning on us taking out the professional pilot, so this is plan B. But we really don't know what that could be.

We can identify the suspect, both because we know their face and because we took her ammo and we put the safety on her rifle. We can use this to our advantage.
>>
No. 1037000 ID: b01382

>>1036919
The goat lady. The one that doesnt know how to use her laser gun. The one that is in debt.
>>
No. 1037002 ID: 2fce91

>>1037000
To add, she may also be willing to defect if she is pressured. She doesn't seem very strong willed, nor does she seem to believe in the cause.

Of course, it could also be an act and she may have intentionally leaked info to us so we report it, but that would be some 5d chess level shit so Occam's razor says that probably isn't the case.
>>
No. 1037104 ID: 2edd05
File 165704662693.png - (254.40KB , 800x600 , TQ29.png )
1037104

>Ear armor? Really?
Fletcher has sensitive ears, something which I suspect runs in Dowser's family. Dowser nearly went berserk on me that one time... We no longer keep forks in the apartment.

"Wait, about that first thing, did you crush one of my hands?"
>"Let’s keep this on topic."
"Oh, right. There is a belenos lady who wants your briefcase!"
>"That doesn't narrow it down. Much of my platoon are belenos, and a good portion of that are female. That's around four suspects."
"She's the one with light grey fur!"
>"How do I know what fur color anyone has when everyone is wearing armor? It can be pretty hard to tell troops apart in full uniform."
"I'll point her out to you, she's..."
I look around, but all of the soldiers are wearing their helmets and armor. They must have been on edge because of the attack.
>"Yeah. Hard to spot the difference, even with horns."

Captain Fletcher approaches a big safe looking thing and opens the door using a code. Inside is a rack of a couple dozen differently colored suitcases. Is summit transporting documents like this? Doesn't anybody use email anymore?

She pulls out the blue case and unlocks it, slowly opening it to unleash a bright shine that illuminates her face and armor.

"Is it a bomb? If so, throw it out the plane quick!"
>"You wouldn't have the clearance to know what is in here. But I can tell you for certainty that this is not an explosive."
"What's in there? shiny gold bars?"
>"The shine is coming from a light bulb someone built into the case. It's a good thing I wore my goggles before opening this. If I'm being perfectly honest, these items aren't familiar to me. I hope this puts you at ease."
"Something is still going to happen to the tail, the traitor said so!"
>"If there is a bomb, there isn’t any time to go looking for it before it goes off. For everyone’s safety, I'll order everyone to move into this room." She gets on the radio and does so. Eventually, the room gets filled with soldiers and crew workers.

The room is now pretty packed. I can barely see over any of the people in here. Why are aliens so gosh dang tall!
>>
No. 1037106 ID: 2edd05
File 165704668541.png - (386.34KB , 800x600 , TQ30.png )
1037106

A few moments pass and without warning, a bright blue light fills the plane through all windows accompanied by a loud droning sound. The event lasts several seconds and quickly goes away. Voices start to speak up from the radio

>"What the hell was that?"
>"Whatever it was, it came from outside the plane."
>"Um... something isn't right."
>"What's not right?"
>"The back of the plane. It's gone"
"Oh. So, it is. Attention everyone, this is your pilot speaking; due to the lack of a tail, we will be crash landing shortly. please put on your parachutes and prepare for an emergency evacuation. If you require assistance putting on your parachute, make your way to the front and I will personally, tightly~"-

It becomes hard to hear Bry over everyone's panicking and shouting.

I look over to fletcher, who is already starting to bark out orders for her soldiers to pick up all the suitcases and parachute out with them.

"Fletcher! This is what the Belenos lady wanted! She wants the blue suitcase so she can-"
Fletcher angrily turns around and shoves the blue suitcase into my hands.
>"Fine then, you jump out with it. I'll stay and make sure everyone gets out alive. Deal!?"
Fletcher usually has a level head, but I can see that she is starting to panic a little.
>>
No. 1037107 ID: 798908

>>1037106
"sounds good boss! Meet me at the [most prominent terrain feature here]!"
>>
No. 1037108 ID: b0b5f8

Well time to parachute out. Check that you have your parachute on, put it on otherwise, and be ready to jump.
>>
No. 1037109 ID: 6a2a09

Oooh, I know what happened. There must be a transmitter or some kind of location beacon so that whoever was aiming that laser thing didn't hit the cargo of the ship, since they were expecting it to crash... oh.
i think you should jump out earlier than the others, they'll expect the suitcase to be with the ship.
A few protips:
*Carefully* dump the contents of the suitcase into another case, or switch them. Who knows which of the objects has the transmitter or whatever, but it might help confuse them.
Have a few decoys jump with you with different packages, they might get confused and search different people, buttt that might result with someone dying.
When you jump, try not to activate your parachute immediately, and wait till you're closer to the ground, they might be able to spot you if you open it too early.
>>
No. 1037113 ID: b0b5f8

>>1037109
Swapping suitcases is a good idea but might be unavailable due to time/lock constraints.
>>
No. 1037114 ID: 9a2966

Time to yoink and ploink!

The faster you jump out, the more whoever would be trying to follow you could get stuck in the crowd (and give you a head start on the flee-ning).

...

Onnn the other hand, if Bryn can keep the ol' girl up a bit longer, you can run through her and try to grab whatever small and valuable items may or may not have been left behind unattended in the rush. Maybe there's, you don't know, a spare nailgun or something probably-about-to-be-insanely-useful like that.
>>
No. 1037116 ID: 2fce91

>>1037114
The plane isn't staying up. Without the tail we are going to start flat-spinning pretty damn quickly. We have seconds before everyone ends up knocked around.
>>
No. 1037119 ID: e391d4

>Dowser nearly went berserk on me that one time...
Checks out.

>you, alone, with the objective.
Hmmm, do you have weapons on you? I think you are going to need it.

Also, before jumping, tell her to check their guns, that is how she will find the traitor!
>>
No. 1037120 ID: 273c18

>>1037106
Deal!
>>
No. 1037123 ID: 7c0da2

I don't think there is time to do something too complicated. But having decoys jump at the same time with similar suitcases is probably fine.
>>
No. 1037124 ID: 899c9f

"Doesn't know how to use their gun" might not narrow it down much.

If the plane's going to start spinning, jump from the starboard side! The engine on that side is out, so the thrust is uneven.
>>
No. 1037130 ID: 5d9787

No, you keep the suitcase. Why would I be better at keeping it safe than you?
>>
No. 1037133 ID: d8325e

You are the co-pilot and this is a flying related emergency situation. You need to go to the cockpit and help Bry fly, crash-land or escape once everyone is out. This will also end up distancing you from the traitor.
>>
No. 1037140 ID: 7c0da2

You know, now that I think about it, are you sure she didn't gave you a false suitcase to use you as bait?
>>
No. 1037143 ID: 2fce91

>>1037133
Without the rudder, there is no crash landing or flying. We will start corkscrewing and crash. The only thing we can do is bail out. Which we should all do.
>>
No. 1037144 ID: 2aa5f0

huh, either the rookie came back or they were somehow able to target your plan with artillery of some sort. Wonder if the traitor put down a beacon or something allowing them to shoot you out of the sky?

Either way take suit case and grab all the crew on the ship and never be alone until you all make it to wherever the hell you're going. Not sure if we have to worry about the traitor trying to stab you in the back with everyone around or if whoever is after you is just going to send more goons after you to get the suitcase.
>>
No. 1037194 ID: 839eb2

Whatever is inside that case, they enemy not only knows about it, but were willing to send one of their top aces to shoot down the plane, have a second plan if the ace failed, and are willing to compromise the identity of an inside operative just to be sure that they get their hands on the case.

Expect them to pull out all the stops, they seem to be willing to go to any lengths to get that case. Fortunately, I'm sure if you get word to Summit that the competition is going to any expense to get the cargo you have, they'll be equally determined to make sure they fail. Or at least make it as expensive for Edevane as they have the ability to.
>>
No. 1037361 ID: ba0f62
File 165725969652.png - (216.27KB , 800x600 , TQ31.png )
1037361

>Without the rudder, there is no crash landing or flying. We will start corkscrewing and crash.
Wait, what?

The plane suddenly makes a massive impact, and everyone gets thrown around. About half the soldiers and crew have jumped out, Fletcher is still here but she seems to insist on being the last one to go. I radio Bry.

"What was that?"
"I lost altitude and we dropped down to a plateau of sorts. We're grinding against the edge of a cliff."
"Great! Can you stop the plane?"
"I'm afraid not, we're grinding down an incline and I don't have the landing gear out. We're running out of cliff, I'd say you all have about a minute to bail."
"Are you going to be ok?"
"There's a parachute in here, unfortunately, it seems to be full of... food, cutlery, a newspaper, camping supplies and an anvil."
"Oh." I was wondering where I put that.
"It’s fine... Maybe I can… work something out. Don’t worry about me, focus on yourself."

Maybe I should hold out on jumping.

>are you sure she didn't give you a false suitcase to use you as bait?
I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was listening. She doesn't strike me as the smart, quiet type.

>Swap suitcase contents
No time!

>do you have weapons on you? I think you are going to need it.
Do my mechanical gauntlets count? If not, I am otherwise unarmed. (heheh)
>>
No. 1037362 ID: ba0f62
File 165725970753.png - (237.13KB , 800x600 , TQ32.png )
1037362

>either the rookie came back, or they were somehow able to target your plane with artillery of some sort.
No plane could've done that. Must have been artillery, and I'm not sure Edevane was behind it, otherwise why would they have tried to shoot us down with jets beforehand and lose the element of surprise? It just seems odd.

>There must be a transmitter or some kind or location beacon so that whoever was aiming that laser thing didn't hit the cargo of the ship
Makes sense. Also explains why we wouldn't be able to find it so easily, those things are usually pretty small. But why was the artillery a plan B?

Only a few people are left on board. I hear Fletcher calling out for everyone remaining to jump off immediately. My choices are to jump off with Fletcher and go with her group and leave Bry, or to go and help Bry by either finding a way to slow/redirect the plane. or share a parachute. The traitor is still probably on board, but I'm not worried about her.
>>
No. 1037363 ID: 899c9f

Well, since you feel personally responsible for replacing his parachute with a collection of Acme gags, you should probably... take the briefcase and jump with it! Are you mad?!

I wonder what his odds are of making it to the back of the plane and jumping out of the severed tail section. Better than jumping without a parachute, right?
>>
No. 1037364 ID: 15c72a

>>1037362
Tell Bry to get back here, you'll share your parachute.
Steal the traitor's parachute if she shows up.
>>
No. 1037368 ID: b01382

>>1037362
Share your parachute with Bry. Hes too cute to die.
>>
No. 1037369 ID: b01382

>>1037362
Wait i got an idea. If we see one of those goat aliens, call out to them. Say "Hey Sam!" If they confirm theyre Sam, we found the traitor.
>>
No. 1037371 ID: f240ed

No man left behind grab your co-pilot and either get ready to jump out together or maybe find a way to stop the plane from taking cliff diving lessons.
>>
No. 1037374 ID: ce39da

Go to Bry. If the traitor shows up, her gun isn't loaded, and it's more likely she'll assume someone already jumped with the case anyway if it isn't where she thought it was. Meanwhile, it's kinda ridiculous to expect you to stop a tailspin without a tail, so make to jump with him.
>>
No. 1037375 ID: 5d9787

Bry is too precious to die alone! Go help him.
>>
No. 1037376 ID: aa9b70

>why would they have tried to shoot us down with jets beforehand and lose the element of surprise?
>why was the artillery a plan B?

Hiding that they have spies in Summit would be the obvious motive. Should a jet have shot down the plane, there would be no questions. However, now there are lots of questions. How did they know where to place the artillery to get that plane? How did they target the plane? Did they know the flight path? With all those questions, it'd be obvious to Summit that this was not coincidental, it was targeted.
With your discovery of a spy, we've solved a few pieces of the puzzle, but it also adds more questions. Like, who placed the beacon in the tail? Was it an operative on the ground, or do we have a second operative with us on the plane? Since the hostile forces seem to know which plane had the case, the flight path of the plane, and had the connections to get one of their own *and* a targeting beacon on the plane, how high up in Summit does this conspiracy go? Plus, given the scope of this op, what will they do if their spy fails to drop off the case? Seeing the lengths they've gone so far, it's doubtful they'll just give up.
>>
No. 1037379 ID: 7c25f3

>>1037375
Youp.
>>
No. 1037389 ID: d249c6

Radio him and say: "Bry, I need you to come back here, we can share my parachute, hmmmmmm."
The hmmmm is meant to sound pensive but it comes out.... weird.

Anyway, now you can jump with Fletcher's group.
>>
No. 1037401 ID: 761d3b

I think Fletcher's plan is to dismantle any previous plan by giving the briefcase to someone as chaotic as yourself. Getting separated is actually a good way to achieve that.
>>
No. 1037402 ID: c28082

>>1037362

You can't possibly intend to leave Bry behind. Let's go rescue his stubby butt, and share a parachute like good comrades in arms (hah).
>>
No. 1037415 ID: dc1018

>>1037362
>Arty Plan B
You weren't in the cockpit at the time. The planes could have tried to radio and force the plane down initially.

--

There is no slow or redirect the plane at this point. It is fucked. Honestly, for the people jumping, they may still be fucked if they hit the plateau rather than making it off the cliff. Still, staying is certain death and the longer you remain, the less likely you are to survive.
It is sad that Bry will probably die, and that you were the one who killed them (you cruel bastard), but I highly doubt you have the time or agility to go up to them, grab them, and bail out of the plane without splatting against the cliff all before the plane hits something, the floor is sanded through, or the ground gets too close for the parachute to open.
>>
No. 1037424 ID: ce39da

>>1037415
If we're speculating on why that was Plan B, "Plan A" does have the benefit of waving a false flag around. I imagine the artillery might be a more overt smoking gun pointing to whoever's actually behind this, after the fact.
>>
No. 1037483 ID: ba0f62
File 165739405786.png - (335.75KB , 800x600 , TQ33.png )
1037483

I choose Bry! He is more than just a work friend and co-pilot to me! And maybe because I'd feel a tad responsible if anything happened to him.

"Hey Bry, can you meet me halfway?"
"Afraid not, I need to stay on the wheel, so we don't go over the edge. Let me worry about this... If I don't make it, I want you to know, I've got a crush on-"

*crackling*
Strange. Seems the power to the plane, as well as its communications got cut. The plane's reserve power lights come on. Wonder what he was trying to say.

And it's a good thing that I decided to move towards the front, because Sam blocks my way to the door.
>"I... So, I... I-I really need that blue suitcase... For... because Fletcher ordered that I do it, so... give it to me or I'll... I'll have to... use... lethal... force..."

Ugh. Her trigger discipline is awful. I feel like she is holding the whole gun all wrong. I can even see from here that the safety is still on. The battery is still gone, and she still hasn't noticed. I almost pity the poor thing, but she still thinks she's some kind of threat. Knowing that I'm going to be unharmed, I use the opportunity to look totes hard-boiled.

She shuffles around with awkward unease. Whoever is sending traitors is not sending their best!
>>
No. 1037484 ID: ba0f62
File 165739407561.png - (287.41KB , 800x600 , TQ34.png )
1037484

"Alright, that's all the cases, now who's left... Hey, Coil! What the hell are you still doing here? And who's this? Soldier, this is going on your report! Coil, I thought I told you to-"
Her words are cut short as we hit a big bump which throws the two off-balance. Fletcher falls back into Sam, who joins in on the stumble by taking an exit out of the open hatch.
the only noise remaining to fill the crashing plane is scraping, winds and the loud engines, or what is left of them. Hopefully the two deploy their parachutes in time.

I manage to stay on my feet because of my small stature and my three tails helping to keep my balance. There are only two tobaks left on this plane, and I sprint to the front.

>I think Fletcher's plan is to dismantle any previous plan by giving the briefcase to someone as chaotic as yourself. Getting separated is actually a good way to achieve that.
Hold on... Really? It all makes so much sense now! Her giving me the case, trusting me with it? How did I not see something so obvious! She is putting me on a secret assignment to hand deliver this case to the airbase while being so unpredictable, no enemy could ever know what I'm doing! Don't worry Fletcher, I'll get it done! Who knows, maybe I'll get a promotion - and some shiny new hands!
>>
No. 1037485 ID: ba0f62
File 165739408531.png - (228.09KB , 800x600 , TQ35.png )
1037485

>"Hey buddy, miss me?"
"Coil! You came back for me!"
"Of course I did! We've always been closer than just co-workers."
"Oh darling, we have?"
"Of course, we're [/b] bunk buddies! [/b]"
"Oh, right. This much is true. But there isn't much time, we need to act fast!"
"Is that a big lake ahead?"
"It appears so."

Should we jump out? Should it be off the cliff or onto the dirt to the other side. Or should we try landing (crashing) this plane, with all survivors!
>>
No. 1037486 ID: ce39da

"Get ready, Bry; we're jumping."

I mean, we have a parachute, and it's just us on board. It'd be kinda dumb to risk our lives to save the plane at this point.

As for "where"... I feel kind of uncomfortable being isolated from the troops, even if putting distance between us and the traitor does seem appealing. When you put the "chaotic gambit" like that, I suddenly have less confidence in it. Parachute now, off the cliff and after the troops.
>>
No. 1037487 ID: 5d9787

Since I know nothing about planes I will trust the guy who seem to know something:
>>1037143
So let's jump.

Ask Bry to repeat what he said when the communication got cut.
>>
No. 1037496 ID: 2aa5f0

I mean if you have people still on the plan aim for the lake but if it's just the 2 of you left just grab your buddy and jump. Remember to tell him to hold on tight. Would really suck for you two to jump out only for one of you to then fall.
>>
No. 1037498 ID: 899c9f

Get out on the dirt side. I hope you have helmets, this is going to be a bumpy ride.
>>
No. 1037499 ID: 7c25f3

>>1037487
Yeah, let's bounce. Also, whad did they said bedore?
>>
No. 1037544 ID: 15a025

Go for the dirt, softer landing.
>>
No. 1037553 ID: ba605b

>>1037485
Please tell me Bry is secretly a shortstack lady tobak and not a pretty femboy.
>>
No. 1037555 ID: dc1018

>>1037485
At this speed, hitting the water will be like hitting the ground.

Just Jump and pray to make it off the cliff.
>>
No. 1037556 ID: ba605b

>>1037485
So if Tobaks have literals wires in their body, does that mean it's easier to incorporate hardware (cyberwar, cybernetics, implants, subderman armor, computers) as opposed to wetware (artificial organs, vat grown muscles, bioarmor)?
>>
No. 1037557 ID: e2dc59

Jump to wherever the troops are.
Whoever shot down the plane has invested a lot of resources to get that case, so it'd be no surprise if they had an assault team on standby for search and retrieval should the spy fail to get the case to the specified location as planned.
Say, what does Summit do if a plane is downed? Like, what's the protocol?
>>
No. 1037574 ID: b01382

>>1037485
Kiss him you fool!
>>
No. 1037597 ID: dc1018

>>1037557
Given how tunnels make radar useless, there probably isn't anything they can do until they know the plane is missing, and they will only know the plane is missing once it fails to reach its destination. Depending on how far along we are, that could be a while.

Since the adversary seems to be more willing to shell out money on tech, we could end up seeing some hovercraft coming at us here soon. Probably not actual full clearance hovercraft (cuz zeny), but we could totally see some air cushion skirt hovertanks since they are fast and amphibious.

>>1037574
Bunk buddies don't do that, silly. *Pained Bry noises.*
>>
No. 1037600 ID: b01382

>>1037597
Sure they do. I kiss my bunk buddy all the time.
>>
No. 1037607 ID: c28082

>>1037600

It's not gay unless all three tails touch
>>
No. 1037616 ID: 7c0da2

If it's just Bry and you,jump.
But if there is other survivors try crashlanding the plane.
>>
No. 1037735 ID: b01382

>>1037485
Are all the soilders and smol people crew out? RADIO CHECK!
>>
No. 1037771 ID: d0bdd2

I get you tow are amazing pilots toghether. If there is still people onboard, try to make "an elegant crash".

If not, jump with your parachute over the cliff. I doubt those parachutes are made for more than one tolbak and it will probably will need more distance to decelerate.
>>
No. 1037839 ID: 0eae32

If we really want to try and stop the plane, lets do this:

-Turn off all engines except the far right one. That one should still be intact and dangling off the cliff.

-Gun that one engine to max until the plane starts turning away from the cliff edge. (you will know when this happens cuz it will trash the right side propellers when they hit the cliff)

-The plane should (if we are very lucky) now be sliding away from the cliff edge. At this point, the wings should keep the plane from rolling down the incline and the friction should stop the plane pretty quickly since all the engines will be dead. (assuming we have enough space)

Aiming for the lake will mean death. The plane can't glide without a tail. Plus, the wings could easily rip off after grinding against the cliff for this long.
>>
No. 1037973 ID: b78263

>>1037485
Bry is wife
>>
No. 1038005 ID: dc9df3

>>1037544
This
>>
No. 1038459 ID: ba0f62
File 165814591656.png - (204.83KB , 800x600 , TQ36.png )
1038459

>Radio check
I can't get a signal, I think we're too far away.

>Say, what does Summit do if a plane is downed? Like, what's the protocol?
Usually, it crashes and they send a different team to salvage all the good bits. I imagine that'd take a while, local raiders will probably have first dibs at the crash site. Other companies may even show up before our guys do.

>So if Tobaks have literals wires in their body, does that mean it's easier to incorporate hardware (cyberwar, cybernetics, implants, subderman armor, computers) as opposed to wetware (artificial organs, vat grown muscles, bioarmor)?
Absolutely. All the wet squishy biological stuff is just as hard to do as it is for the aliens. It's not impossible, just hard and expensive. Probably something you wouldn’t invest into a tobak.

I tell Bry to hold on tight, we're jumping down into the caves below. I thread the briefcase handle through my tails and we both jump.

I pull the cord and the parachute deploys without problems or picnic supplies. I try to aim us towards the security team, but I can't seem to see any sign of those that jumped out previously.

"You seem to be holding on to me at a bit of a weird angle, you're not going to slip off or anything, right?"
>"I could hold you like this forever."
"That's reassuring. Hey uh, I think your snout is a little close to my snout there. Careful, we might touch snouts."
>"mhmm... yeah."
>Please tell me Bry is secretly a short lady tobak
That would certainly make this less weird for me but as strange as Bry is, I am at least 93% sure he is a dude and not an abnormally short lady.
>Kiss him you fool!
N-no! I like ladies!
"Cool, just make sure to not do anything from this angle that could be construed as kissing in case somebody sees. It'd be totes embarrassing. By the way, what were you trying to say before you cut out on the radio?"
>"Oh, I was just telling you that I have a crush on you."
"You got a crush on everyone! It isn't a special thing if you feel that way about everybody!"
>"I won't deny the fact that I have many crushes for many individuals."
"More than just tobaks, too. You got some sort of thing for a particular sect rogue."
>"Lyvy is adorable and misunderstood~"
Yyyyyyuck!
>>
No. 1038460 ID: ba0f62
File 165814592691.png - (213.06KB , 800x600 , TQ37.png )
1038460

Me and Bry plunge deep into a body of water. That's weird, who put this river here? Bry is able to swim off just fine.
I detach the parachute and harness and try to swim up as well.

This proves to be more difficult than expected - all my clothes have absorbed a bunch of water and become heavy, and I have anchors for hands weighing me down. This is unusual, tobaks are usually pretty buoyant.

I can try to swim all I want, but I'm not getting anywhere with all this weight, I need to lose some stuff.
>>
No. 1038461 ID: b0b5f8

Well, the jacket for starters, time to show off those pecs.
The Hok goggles can go too since you have a spare (and they look the heaviest of the bunch). If that's still not enough, you might have to lose the briefcase... or your pants.
>>
No. 1038463 ID: 3bbc5a

Alas, it does look like you are going to have to leave all the heavy clothing. If it is still too heavy, detach your hands as well.
Tell Bry to not make any salacious comments and to try to retrieve your stuff once you get to the surface.
>>
No. 1038465 ID: e5709d

rolled 1 = 1

>Leave hands?
Tough call. The hands are bulky and cheap to replace, but you really need functioning appendages when dealing with a bleeding-edge Mega-Corp.

Coin toss (Y1/N2) to determine if you toss one hand.
>>
No. 1038467 ID: 3f8f6f

Ditch one hand and the suitcase. The bottom of a river is pretty safe.
>>
No. 1038468 ID: efc020

Get naked. If it doesn't work, lose a hand.
Check you still have the briefcase.
>>
No. 1038470 ID: 0d01d6

>>1038460
Dump the hat and jacket. They are both probably pretty heavy and dense. If you can get to the surface, you can take your pants off, tie the legs together, put them around your neck and make an improvised life jacket with them (It is kinda hard to explain how you do it without seeing it. There are probably pictures online.).
>>
No. 1038473 ID: 3cb68d

You gotta do it, you gotta get totally naked. For the mission, Coil. Think of the mission. If you gotta ditch the briefcase too then maybe you could wrap it with your clothes, hide it all at the bottom of the river.
All except for the hat, naturally. Maybe Bry'll let you use some of his clothes if he hasn't also ditched them to make swimming easier, that coat of his did seem heavy. And really, what's a little nudity between bunk buddies?
>>
No. 1038477 ID: 5d9787

Accessories and jacket can go. The left hand if there is no other way, but the right stay. Suitcase only as the last resort.

Soon you will showing Bry whatever you've being hiding under the hat and goggles. If it's really that shameful you could joke about loosing his crush because of your ugly mug. It will make easy to explain you are not interested even though he is very cute.
Pity that is as far as we can go, but at least we got a passionate hug.
>>
No. 1038483 ID: 0fc1a1

Uh, honestly I’d say ditch everything that you don’t need. Start with coat, then overalls if need be, and the f that still isn’t enough drop briefcase then hands if you STILL need to loss weight.

Putting briefcase and hands as higher priority because they’re important but if you’re going to die then fuck em. Still though if you can save them please do as the case sounds like it’s mission important and having hands is just plane better then not having hands.
>>
No. 1038484 ID: 15c72a

>>1038460
Shed clothes. Bry may have to retrieve them for you, maybe even the briefcase.
>>
No. 1038488 ID: 7c0da2

Get rid of everything that is not the briefcase or your goggles.
And keep you hands, you need those.
>>
No. 1038489 ID: 6360dd

>>1038468
+1

Obviously get nude for survival. Not like that is going to create some misunderstanding. And clothes are less useful for survival than hands!
>>
No. 1038492 ID: f373c9

IS Hypothermia a threat to Tobaks?

And yeah, even if it isnt, start stripping. If clothes dont do it, drop your (ideally non-dominant) hand.
>>
No. 1038497 ID: ba0f62
File 165818707119.png - (240.69KB , 800x600 , TQ38.png )
1038497

>The hands are bulky and cheap to replace, but you really need functioning appendages when dealing with a bleeding-edge Mega-Corp.
No kidding. They tell me not to lose these things, because they don't shell out spares very... sparingly. At least I don't have to pay for them, only downside is that I don't get to keep them. So long as I'm on the Summit payroll, these hands are company property. And If I quit or get fired? Well... I don't like to think about it.

>Well, the jacket for starters.
I guess it isn't that essential. I only wear that to cover my arms because the company issue jumpsuit only comes in short sleeves. Not like I’m hiding any embarrassing tattoos or anything.

>The Hok goggles can go too since you have a spare
The heck is a Hok? These are Coil Goggles (patent pending!) That I begrudgingly let go. The hat goes too, they complete each other. Luckily my hair still hides my eyes.

>Get naked.
No!
>You gotta do it, you gotta get totally naked. For the mission, Coil. Think of the mission.
No way! I am not getting naked! There are no hot babes around to enjoy it, it'd be a waste!

>IS Hypothermia a threat to Tobaks?
We're covered in fur so... it isn't like a huge problem, especially not for tobaks that come from cold regions. The water here is not fine! . I need a warm blanket and a hot beverage after this, asap!

>Briefcase.
I let the briefcase slide off my tails, and it floats up to the surface. Huh. Guess it had some air in it.

That should be everything but the bare jumpsuit on my back. I'm still not floating up, what gives? My hands might still be weighing me down... or maybe I ate too much before swimming. The good news is that I can hold my breath for a while because tobaks evolved to hold our breaths while going through pockets of poisonous gas. On a full breath I could be down here for half an hour or something, but I don't think I have anywhere near that long. I'm getting a little woozy right now trying to think of a plan.
>>
No. 1038498 ID: 7b75ea

Lose a hand, dude! Now! You didn't account for having a second prosthetic!
>>
No. 1038501 ID: 422cea

Your hands seriously aren't plug and play are they? You'd need the appropriate tools to detach those from the sockets installed in your wrists wouldn't you?

You're going to have to pick a direction and try to find a shore incline or wall.
>>
No. 1038502 ID: 15c72a

Is something stuck to your feet? I'm guessing you got snagged on SOMETHING.
Worst case scenario you can walk to shore maybe?
>>
No. 1038504 ID: 9a2966

Could you just make your way to shore once you hit bottom, or are you still sinkin' with no end in sight?

Also, you could try this thing called 'swimming' where you kick with your feet and push with your hefty robot arms though that's gonna take more air to do.

But if you gotta lose an arm, ya gotta lose it.
>>
No. 1038506 ID: 3cb68d

There are no hot babes around, YET. But this time you'll be prepared! And if you have to run as soon as you get to shore then your enemies might be too confused at your nudity to act, giving you a headstart. But you may also have to lose a hand or two. If just the one preferably the non-dominant one.
>>
No. 1038507 ID: 0fc1a1

God damn how heavy are those hands? Well if you’re still sinking and you only have your jumpsuit and hands I guess ditch the hands because I doubt the suit is weighing you down THAT much.

Hold on… you can swim right?
>>
No. 1038509 ID: a9af05

>>1038497
Where is your friend? Is he dragging you down?
>>
No. 1038534 ID: f8ac76

Tobak biology is metal-rich enough to have wire-analogues for nerves. You're too naturally dense to float, Coil.
>>
No. 1038549 ID: b0b5f8

Look around while you still can. You're looking for Bry and for the closest direction where the floor raises to the surface (slope or cliff ; even a cliff should be climbable underwater with the hand(s) you have).
>>
No. 1038553 ID: bbd86a

>>1038460
Dont forget to get a handle on the suitcase. Is it still on you? Try using your mouth to hold it but dont drink the water. Shouldnt the brief case be bouyant?
>>
No. 1038555 ID: bbd86a

>>1038497
Swim harder You little twit! SWIM!
>>
No. 1038567 ID: 9a2966

>>1038553
>I let the briefcase slide off my tails, and it floats up to the surface. Huh. Guess it had some air in it.

It sure was!
>>
No. 1038587 ID: 7c0da2

If the briefcase is buoyant letting go of it actually puts you in a worse spot. So if at all possible try to grab it back.
Wait in place a bit for Bry to rescue you. He will know where you are when he sees your clothes float up. If he don't come in a couple minutes, try to walk around until you find a slope.
>>
No. 1038622 ID: 187866

I am pretty sure that the suitcase is more valuable than you are prosthetics, so if you keep it safe they will compensate you with a new hand or two. So man up and lose a hand.
>>
No. 1038666 ID: 7279cf

>>1038497
Abandon your suit. You can ask Bry for his jacket to wear around your waist if you need to. Its not like youre not wearing underwear, so youre fine.
After swimming up to retrieve you briefcase, you'll need to hug Bry to maintsin body heat. Its purely for health reasons.
>>
No. 1038716 ID: 0d01d6

>>1038666
If we can make it to the surface, the jumpsuit is our best bet at staying afloat. (make it into a lifejacket)

I think a hand has to go unless we can make it to the edge quickly.
>>
No. 1038891 ID: 15c72a

Wait, do you still have that battery? Ditch it, and anything else heavy and non-essential you're carrying.
>>
No. 1038907 ID: b71dce

>>1038891
I feel like we would know it if we were submerged and had a battery.
>>
No. 1039061 ID: 15a025

Gonna have to lose a hand. It might be possible Bry is a good and strong enough swimmer they could dive back in and get it later.
>>
No. 1039109 ID: ba0f62
File 165869607987.png - (159.02KB , 800x600 , TQ39.png )
1039109

>Hold on… you can swim right?
...It... appears I never learned. I assumed I'd always just float.
>Lose a hand!
Not an option! They are attached on good. And even if I did remove a hand without it hurting like hell, that still doesn't fix my problem of not being able to swim.

I start to thrash around, desperately looking for something to grab or push myself with. Maybe I can touch the bottom for feel a shore, but I must be in a river because of a noticeable current moving me around, disorienting me. Which way is up anymore? This water is too cloudy to see anything.

I try to move, but a minute turns to two. Two turns to Five. I stop counting the time and I stop trying to think of a plan.

I... think I might actually drown.

I think this is it. I think it's my time to...

well...

Die.

...

Did I live a good life?

...

That's all I can think about right now. My mind is trying to grab onto stuff in these last moments but... Not much actually comes to mind. I have family, but they mostly just ignored me. Why can't I see their faces when I think about them?

I had friends. I had... No. Nobody. I didn't have friends. I had Bry, I guess. He was the only person in the world who ever liked me, but he likes everyone, so what does that really count for? Dowser could hardly tolerate me and Lyvy hated my guts. My co-workers all think I'm annoying.
Summit doesn't care if I live or if I die. I'm expendable to them.
To everyone, I was just an immature annoying prick who didn't want anyone to see his eyes.

Is anybody actually going to miss me or remember me when I'm gone?
Did I ever actually exist?

Why did it take me until I was at the end of my rope to do all this self-reflection? Any why can't I help but look back at how frustrating I've been to everyone around me? Whatever the reason... I oddly feel at peace.

Do I have regrets?

...Not really.

Despite how I lived my life, despite losing my hands, I was happy. And that's all that mattered. I don't care what comes after. It is time to let the water in and get this over with.

I feel a tugging at my neck - I'm being pulled back hard-
>>
No. 1039110 ID: ba0f62
File 165869609866.png - (198.67KB , 800x600 , TQ40.png )
1039110

My face breaks the surface of the water and I spit out the water I had swallowed, making room for the cave air.
*GHASP*
>"I've got you! Don't worry buddy!"

I get dragged ashore and let down against a rock. I'm still spitting out water and coughing.

>"It’s a good think that you’re ok! You had me worried for a moment there. And don't worry about your luggage here, I picked it up before it could float off. It's a good thing I have a swimmers build, and it's also a good thing that that I got plenty of practise from the pools and spas I've been in. Having exotic friends has its benefits."

I can breathe clearly again, and I can finally start to talk. Bry is busy trying to pick up what he can from the river.
>>
No. 1039111 ID: 899c9f

Use the briefcase as a pillow and catch your breath.
>>
No. 1039112 ID: e51896

What does wet Tobak smell like?

Just rest a bit
>>
No. 1039113 ID: f373c9

Ponder the fact that Bry is all-but-naked, at least shirtless (and fluffy), also definitely a total bro.

Also ask what the funny Choker he's wearing is...
>>
No. 1039114 ID: 2aa5f0

thank him for the save and tell him you somewhat forgot you didn't know how to swim and were kind of hoping you'd be a fast learner. Didn't really work out that way so again thanks for the save. Then maybe think about learning how to swim after you get back to base just so you don't have to worry about something like this happening again.

Also pools and spas, since when did base have pools and spas? Is it some kind of secret that the company doesn't want everyone to know about so they don't swarm the places or is it just one of those things no one ever bother telling you about?
>>
No. 1039115 ID: 9a2966

>>1039110
One thinks, maybe, you should thank your one friend for saving your ass so you get to continue on having no regrets whatsoever.

Also that you should catch your breath and then get moving, what with being official targets of trouble to come. Maybe fill Bry in on what you overheard.
>>
No. 1039116 ID: fef6d1

what is up with your eyes? Why don't you like people looking at your eyes? Why are you annoying to others?
Hmm, perhaps questions for another time.

Well! you get to live another day, for now. Take a minute, thank your best friend ever and try to contact Fletcher. We need to deliver this suitcase.
>>
No. 1039117 ID: 15c72a

>>1039110
Did you lose both pairs of goggles? Look around a bit to see if any washed ashore. Or any of your clothes.
Thank Bry, obviously.
>>
No. 1039139 ID: 708905

>>1039110
Be sure to thank Bry for saving your life
>>
No. 1039140 ID: 5d9787

If you are still feeling sentimental thank Bry for saving you and tell him if you had died you would be glad to have gone saving your only friend.

Bry, don't open the suitcase. There is a light that turns on when you open. Don't get yourself blinded by curiosity.

Do we have any means of communication? If we can't contact our side we shouldn't even bother trying to regroup, we either go to the objective or return to base.
>>
No. 1039141 ID: 90c451

Hug him you fool.
Also, how did his make up stay on after all that swimming?
>>
No. 1039159 ID: b01382

>>1039110
No idea what a swimmers build is, but make sure you got goggles so you dont get accidentslly blinded.
Inspect hands to ensure water didnt fuck them up.
Do we have a flare gun? Lets start looking for our goons.
>>
No. 1039198 ID: c28082

>>1039110

Thank Bry for saving your ass, and maybe apologize for always being such a doofus to everyone around you. You know, because you're still feeling fragile and emotional (and could really use a hug, right now).

Kiss him, you fool!
>>
No. 1039200 ID: 7c0da2

Tell him you have a confession to make.
You are the one who hid his pipe.
>>
No. 1039236 ID: ba0f62
File 165878776510.png - (168.11KB , 800x600 , TQ41.png )
1039236

>Why don't you like people looking at your eyes?
It's a bit of an Achilles' heel for me. I have nothing but painful memories associated with people finding out what they look like. Even my family teased me for it.

>What does wet Tobak smell like?
Kind of bad to be honest.

>ask what the funny Choker he's wearing is
That's just a part of his fur. All male tobaks have rings around their necks, me included.

>since when did base have pools and spas?
Never... I might have to ask Bry to elaborate some time.

>Did the water break your hands
No, they work just fine. It's the rest of me that feels a little broken right now...

I want to say something, but I can’t think of what to say. I lay still, trying to calm myself down.
>"I must admit, the lack of a hat and goggles is a good look for you. I've never seen this much of you before."
"Thanks..."
>"Don't mention it."
"No. I mean... Thanks for..."

"..."

"Saving me."
>"But of course, did you think I would sit back and let you drown?"

"..."

>"Coil?"

"..."

>"Is everything ok?"

...sniff.

"No" My voice creaks out. My shaking and sniffing getting harder to hide. "I thought I was going to die."
>"But you didn't die! look, you're completely fine, not a scratch on you and looking as handsome as ever"

"..."

>"Coil? hey, Coil darling! Are you going to be alright?"

"I-I... I need a hug..."

Bry doesn't hesitate. He comes over and puts arms around me, and I cling to him in return, trying hard not to appear desperate for comfort, but probably failing miserably.
>"I'm here for you. Take as long as you like."
"Don't... y'know... take this the wrong way, I just..."
>"I understand. Everyone needs someone to lean on sometimes. I can be that for you. It doesn't need to be anything beyond that."
"I... I..."
>"You don't need to say anything."
I go quiet. I start to cry. I'm not even sure why, I almost never cry. I don't even know if I'm happy or sad, my emotions and feelings have never felt like such a mystery to me before.

We sit for a few minutes while I try to put myself back together. My crying begins to slow as I start to calm down. Bry eventually breaks the silence.

>"As much as I would love to do this all day, we really should think of a plan. Staying here won't be of much help to anyone."

He's right. We should figure out what to do next.
>>
No. 1039237 ID: 899c9f

Well, you're hundreds of miles out into no tobak's land with very little equipment. Salvage whatever you can and start walking in the direction of the plane crash. Keep the briefcase on you - maybe it has a tracker so Summit can find you.
Stay low and quiet - this territory is at best abandoned, and at worst under Edevane control. They do have some kind of Excalibur-looking superlaser that can slice tails off planes in the area, after all.
>>
No. 1039238 ID: 10a721

We have to contact Fletcher over the radio to tell find a place to rendezvous.

And since we just learned a harsh lesson of how we might not be able to get another chance to talk to her, tell her that you embarrasing her doesn't justify her crushing your hand under a steamroller.
>>
No. 1039239 ID: 279c23

Do you guys even know where you were going before you were shot down? If so I say start hoofing it that way. The suitcase may or may not be able important so bringing it to a safe place is probably a high priority. Would normally suggest linking back up with everyone but you were all scattered across the place so if you all start looking for each other you’ll probably just be walking in circles trying to figure out where everyone is going while they think the same trying to wonder in the dark looking for everyone else themselves. But if you head towards your distention and assuming they gave the same distention you’ll probably bump into each other alone the way… or at least all end up in the same place.
>>
No. 1039241 ID: 15c72a

>>1039236
Are your eyes heart-shaped or something?

Salvage what you can from the stuff you lost in the river.
>>
No. 1039244 ID: 5d9787

>>1039239
Bry knew the location, after all he was flying toward it. Presumable Fletcher also know, so we might meet her group on the way there.

We just need to decide if we go there or return. We don't know who will be waiting for us. If this was supposed to be an exchange it's possible the group receiving the cargo would see our current weakness as an opportunity and disappear with us.
>>
No. 1039245 ID: fef6d1

I would say to clap your cheeks to syke you up but that would probably hurt.
Ok, plan.
We need to deliver the suitcase to its destination. For that we need to know where you are.
We need to make contact with Fletcher, like a said before. We don't know if she found out about the traitor or not or even if she is ok. Regrouping might not be the best idea, but to at least have contact wit her.
>>
No. 1039246 ID: ea0606

>>1039109
>>1039236

We just met this character in this thread and you info dump all this while they almost die? Nothing about this flows naturally. It doesn't make a feeling of attachment for this character and comes off extremely forced.
>>
No. 1039253 ID: 15c72a

>>1039246
Infodump what? It's a small amount of background info, presented as someone having their life flash before their eyes.
I dunno who you are but your hateboner is unwarranted.
>>
No. 1039254 ID: 0d2390

>>1039237
>no-tobak's land
We are way better off than that. We aren't being shelled to shit yet.

>>1039246
I mean, it sort of fits the character, in a way.
>>
No. 1039261 ID: 398700

>>1039246
take it to questdis bro
>>1039236
like the others are saying, next step is rendezvous. We're gonna need to find some way to disguise the case though, kind of makes us a target. Can we wrap it seaweed or mud or something?
>>
No. 1039262 ID: 708905

>>1039236
Bry's a good person isn't he. Also yeah time to take stock of what you have, what's in tge immediate area, and where you are so you can start figuring out how to get back to a friendly area
>>
No. 1039265 ID: 9a2966

>neck rings are part of the fur
Wait, Tobaks have metal collars growing outta youse necks? Or are they something that's just been put on y'all?

>wat do
Squeeze your buddy out y'clothes and fur as much as possible so you're not as cold and weighed down soggy, then get moving in a sensible direction - towards any outposts of Summit's where you can rendezvous, and away from the crash. You're definitely going to want to keep on the move as whoever's after that suitcase is gon' wanna canvas the area for it and probably had a team on standby.

Prrrooobably didn't expect the plane to go this far without a functioning tail though. On the other hand, unless Fletcher figured out Sam's traitor-yness and ensured she couldn't report in the exact location of the suitcase, that team is going to know where to head.

Hm. Suitcase stands a bit and it is the 'wrong' color - i.e. the one the people are looking for. Could you think of some way to disguise that? If not... maybe empty it out and stuff the stuff inside in your pant pockets or something? They can probably still find whatever they're after, but no need to make it easy for them!

>breakdown feels
You've been keeping a stiff upper lift for too long in something you haven't quite wanted to admit was a bit of a shitty situation, huh? Or are you still as 'Woo, go Summit' as before? Guess if you haven't managed to make many friends the company's sort of been what you've been living for, for a while, huh. Well. Bryn's got your back just like you had his, it seems. That's a start.

No worries about the crying, really. You were in a tough situation so you're really just being a bit shook up. There's a decent chance you can get your head back in the game if you try. Push these feelings aside to explore later and steel your resolve now - because today's not a fuckup friday! Today's a make-it monday!

(even if it's tuesday or something)
>>
No. 1039266 ID: 15c72a

>>1039265
>metal collar
I see a pendant, but not a collar.
>>
No. 1039287 ID: f3a2ce

Well, lover or not, Bry really is a man to ride or die for. Kinda puts into perspective how shit you've been treated by everyone else.

Get your bearings, gather your supplies, dry off the best you can so you don't track water and get followed. Between sam, that veteran pilot, and whatever the fuck that attack was, Edevane REALLY wants wants what's likely in that suitcase. I would be absolutely stunned if they didn't have a full crew out here to sweep the area and scuttle the wreckage. Get away from it.
>>
No. 1039289 ID: 0f5c1d

>>1039236
Look for anything you can salvage, preferably some goggles so both of you don’t have to worry about getting blinded by anything or anyone.

If you guys remember which way the plane was going, start walking that way and hope you can meet up with Fletcher on the way there. And don't forget to bring that briefcase with you! Fletcher would get really mad at you if you lost it!
>>
No. 1039294 ID: c3e059

>>1039289
This
>>
No. 1039310 ID: c263d0

>>1039246
>>1039253

Criticism isn't always hate. Roaway's writing has been unnatural and spotty since they started making quests. I'd say most people here don't care if it's bad but readers are allowed to voice concerns.
>>
No. 1039311 ID: 7b75ea

Dry off and get moving - just pick a direction since I wouldn't be surprised if it's hard to tell if you got turned around underwater. If Bry knows which way is forward, I say go back; these guys can field artillery, so I wouldn't be surprised if they have boots on the ground. If they get close and have some way of searching for the case (assuming "Sam" failed to hand it off to them directly), we'd be utterly fucked.

>>1039310
While his writing isn't perfect and can be overly expositive sometimes, I don't think the "life flashes before his eyes" moment here is one of those times. And posting in the quest thread itself just to criticize the writing without actually making a suggestion is generally considered disruptive and rude around here, especially if there's a discussion thread available (and I checked; there is). The other guy's response was unwarranted, though, I will agree, and just as irrelevant to the story here. The same "nothing but irrelevant discourse" label also applies to your response, come to think of it.
>>
No. 1039332 ID: ba605b

>>1039236
kiss him!
>>
No. 1039359 ID: ba0f62
File 165890116922.png - (257.35KB , 800x600 , TQ42.png )
1039359

>Bry really is a man to ride or die for
I can't think of anyone as trusting or reliable as Bry. I wonder from time to time why he hangs around someone like me.

>kiss him
Bunk buddies don't kiss, they only hug once and never bring it up again.

>Wait, Tobaks have metal collars growing outta your necks? Or are they something that's just been put on y'all?
Neither, the rings are just parts of our fur that are darker, like our arms.

The moment passes and I calm down. My perspective on my life has shifted more to that of one where I should value my relationships with others more. A good place to start with that is to be more open and honest with people. Someone like Captain Fletcher could use an apology for my... past behaviour. For the moment, I think now is as good a time as any to return Bry's pipe, which was still in my jumpsuit's back pocket.

"I'm sorry for being so out of character, I'm not usually this big on feelings. Here, I was holding onto this. I was trying to pull some dumb prank or something by holding onto it. So... here."
>"Oh my! So that's where it was! Well, thank you for returning it to me."
He turns it on and starts smoking it. A cloud of his iconic pink mist comes out. I try not to breath too much of it in, I have reason to believe it has an effect on people.
>"This pipe's contents were an off-world import gifted to me. It would've taken a while to get a replacement."
"Happy to help..." It is boosting my mood a little. I wonder what's in it.

>Look for anything you can salvage, preferably some goggles
We fish around the riverbank for a bit, but there is little to salvage aside from the occasional junk. Lucky for us, our goggles floated to the top and don't appear to be damaged. None of the clothing was retrievable besides Bry's shirt, which I want him to wear but he seems hesitant.

>Do you remember where the plane was going
I ask Bry if he knows where things are
>"The plane was headed east-by-north-east and crashed in a bit more of a north-eastern direction. Assuming the rest of the crew parachuted off not too far behind, they should be west-by-south-west-ish. If I can recall correctly."
It might be a good idea to look for some high ground to get a better view of our surroundings. Maybe there is a department store nearby that we can get replacement clothes from, or maybe independent salvagers who can point us in the right direction.
>>
No. 1039360 ID: ba0f62
File 165890118955.png - (164.41KB , 800x600 , TQ43.png )
1039360

I turn my attention to the briefcase. I wonder what's the big deal with it. I don't have the clearance to know what's inside... but... It isn't locked or anything, soooooo...

I should see if any water got inside and damaged the goods, it’s only the responsible thing to do. I open the case and disable the light so I can take off my goggles.

Good news is it seems like no water got inside and damaged these... Whatever these are. The only things in here are these two little boxes big enough to fit comfortably in my hands. What are these? The one on the left looks like a computer without a screen or buttons, just a big handwritten '15'. The box on the right looks like some kind of remote with a switch and a dial, but I don't know what it is supposed to control.

Somebody shot down our plane for these two low-tech boxes? What's so special about them? I thought it was gonna be some kind of super artificial intelligence robot, or some of that blue armor that explodes you if you touch it, or a strange shape shifting metal or something cool like that. It's important to somebody, so it's probably important to Summit as well. Looks like me and Bry have the job of returning it to our company territory, or to Fletcher at the very least.

>Edevane REALLY wants what's in that suitcase
That's the part I can't figure out, is Edevane really behind this? The part that doesn't make sense to me is why they would send fighter pilots after us if they could've just used the artillery laser to down the plane and cut out the need for a plan A?

I mean, if somebody could pay off one of Fletcher's soldiers, how do I know someone didn't pay off those Edevane guys as well? Is another company involved? Or maybe I'm thinking too deep into it.

>Contact Fletcher via radio.
We don't have a radio, or much equipment at all. We are effectively in the dark. No pun intended.
>>
No. 1039361 ID: 15c72a

>>1039360
Hmm, the box on the right looks like it measures something. Take it out, turn it on, see what the reading says depending on where you are.
(expecting it to be stronger near the case, since it's likely a key-tracker, which leads to the next part of my suggestion:)
Try with the case open or closed. (If the case shields the signature that will be very useful for not getting murdered by a certain not-Tobak)

Oh well, I guess it's time to start hoofing it. Look around a bit to see if you can get your bearings. Maybe follow the river?
>>
No. 1039362 ID: f373c9

>I wonder what's in it.
I meaaan... you COULD ask him.

>besides Bry's shirt, which I want him to wear but he seems hesitant.
(Alas, dreaded garments)
Pour one out for your sick looking jacket and helmet.
>>
No. 1039363 ID: 57b4dc

>>1039361
Well...I dunno if we should be turning on unknown classified equipment. Though you're right it looks like it measures something, which would probably be safe.

Are we closer to our original destination, or to Summit territory? Should probably hightail it for one of those, if they're at all within reasonable distance. Or, perhaps we should look for a vehicle.
>>
No. 1039364 ID: 899c9f

Head for the hills. Do not approach lone crewmates, one of them could be the traitor.
>>
No. 1039365 ID: 3cb68d

>None of the clothing was retrievable besides Bry's shirt, which I want him to wear but he seems hesitant.
He saved your life, let him run around naked if he feels like it. Against the purple-y cavern stone maybe it'd even be like camouflage. Just in case of snipers or something, you never know what they might pull out if they're willing to slice a plane in half. Make sure to tell him this completely sane idea.
Also the hills could probably provide cover the river might not. How close were you to your destination?
>>
No. 1039366 ID: 36784c

>>1039360
>I open the case and disable the light so I can take off my goggles.
Make sure you fix the light so that if some other tobak manages to somehow get that away from you, they'll be blinded if they open it.
>>
No. 1039367 ID: b0b5f8

> The part that doesn't make sense to me is why they would send fighter pilots after us if they could've just used the artillery laser to down the plane and cut out the need for a plan A?
I was under the impression plan A had less chance of damaging the box. Like, forcing the plane to crash-land without turning into a big fireball.
>>
No. 1039372 ID: 2aa5f0

find a high spot, look around, then start heading off to wherever you where going to begin with. Or if no-one has any idea where that is just start hoofing it back to friendly lands.
>>
No. 1039373 ID: 5d9787

Normally reuniting with armed soldiers would make the rest of the trip much safer. Unfortunately our enemy plan was to shot us down, so we can be sure they prepared something for us on the ground level.
Let's try to be swift and stealth for as long as we can. If by coincidence we come across Fletcher's group we will join, but we shouldn't actively look for them or make ourselves noticeable.

Unfortunately Bry and Coil are both very distinct, unlike Dowser. If an observer happen to know their general descriptions Bry lack of tails will be identified from far away. If the enemies don't know what they look like Coil mechanical hands will give away that they probable are not independents.
If possible we should make those characteristics less noticeable. Maybe Bry could tie Coil's jacket around his waist. Ideally Coil should wear gloves, if there is a pair around, and a shirt with long sleeves. Since Coil shirt have short sleeves if Bry's shirt have long sleeves they should exchange. Bry of course have to wear a shirt, it must be unusual for scavengers to walk around shirtless. Bry's stylish suit and their hats will have to be abandoned for being too distinct, Coil's aviator jacket have a better chance to go unnoticed as an waist accessory. If there are any red wraps around at least pocket those. Would the suitcase be more or less noticeable than an improvised rag bag?

When all the preparations are finished walk at a constant pace, keep the conversations at a low volume and no more smoke.
>>
No. 1039374 ID: fef6d1

>Whatever these are
Your job is to deliver them, not know what they are.

let's get to high ground, see where we are and then decide where to go.
>>
No. 1039381 ID: 0d2390

>>1039360
Looks like the case has a hidden compartment in the lid. That looks like some sort of lock on it.

The thing on the left looks like a hard drive case, it may not be a hard drive itself though, only that it slots into a computer like one. The thing on the right could be anything. Still, lets not mess with it too much. For now, take your clothes off and rub mud all over them for camouflage. Same with your goggle strap and fur. Have Bry do the same for his clothes, although, to be honest, his fur already blends in with the purplish environment, so he probably doesnt need to cover his fur in mud.
>>
No. 1039390 ID: 7b75ea

Yeah, I'm pretty sure "Plan A" was supposed to throw up a false flag - the backup plan is a smoking gun that would reveal who's really behind this. Given the strangeness of the suitcase's contents, I somehow doubt it's as simple as being just another corpo slap-fight with bribed agents as added flavor.

>>1039361
Do this, and very quickly. And if it turns out we've been broadcasting the box's location while the case was open, close it now and GTFO in any direction, because you do not want to be here when whoever's tuning in arrives at your last known location. Start climbing.
>>
No. 1039392 ID: 36784c

>>1039381
>Looks like the case has a hidden compartment in the lid. That looks like some sort of lock on it.
That's actually a light. Coil had disabled it when he opened the briefcase.
>>
No. 1039437 ID: 0d2390

>>1039392
Wouldn't the light be more at the top of the lid?
>>
No. 1039444 ID: 36784c

>>1039437
No, it’d be at the bottom, since that’s where you would look if you were looking at whatever is in the briefcase.

The light is mostly meant to shine directly into the eyes of whoever opens the briefcase. And since this a planet full of tobaks, there’s a high chance a tobak would open it, so the light will blind any enemy tobaks that are dumb enough to open it without any goggles on.
>>
No. 1039453 ID: 741526
File 165905434393.png - (237.35KB , 800x600 , TQ44.png )
1039453

>Ask Bry
I ask bry what he thinks of what's in the box, he doesn't have a clue.

I take out the box on the right and flick on the switch, and it immediately starts to beep rapidly. I immediately turn it off before it could explode.

>Try it with the case opened and closed.
I close the case with the numbered box still inside and turn on the beeping box, which still beeps. I guess it has nothing to do with the case. The boxes could be linked together somehow, but I'm still not sure. I fix the light when I open the case so that it'll blind any tobaks that open it that aren't us.

>Head for the hills. Do not approach lone crewmates, one of them could be the traitor.
I'm not sure who to trust, except for Bry, who It's safe to say couldn't be bribed with all the zeny in the world. It might be wise to stay on our own for now, but still keeping an eye out.

After we dry off a little, me and Bry make our way forward. I compromise on getting Bry to put on his shirt, his condition being that he doesn't have to button it up. I ask him not to smoke so we don't get spotted (or sniffed out by wild sect) and he complies. I think about following the river, but it doesn't seem to lead in any useful direction.

>find a high spot
After a while I see a tall metal structure leaning against a pillar of rock, I'm trying to think of what it could be. I then see the legs on the bottom, and that is enough to jog my memory. What I'm looking at is a walking watchtower, a creation of the Belo-Docker's company. Though the name tobaks prefer is 'lighthouses' for obvious reasons. They use these things for scouting, lighting up caves and collecting samples that are higher up.

The Belo-Docker's company is ranked the second highest in total abandoned equipment on the planet, of course being beaten out by Summit - not to be outdone. This isn't because they don't value their equipment, it's more due to the fact that their company isn't too big on building permanent structures, instead focusing on vehicles and moving structures to outmanoeuvre the other companies. This allows them to act nomadically and hard to pin down.

It only takes me half a second to remember what one of these is doing down here, a while ago the Belo-Docker's were trying to build a rail line through this portion of the wind tunnels right before Summit did a few bombing runs and destroyed a bunch of their mobile infrastructure. That started 6 months ago and has continued to as recently as couple months ago. This is still considered wild territory, but we still don’t want others getting it.

This tower could provide a good vantage point to spot our surroundings, but I'm a little concerned about whether there might be something living in there, like Belo-Docker's workers that have held out this long or wild animals.
>>
No. 1039456 ID: 899c9f

If Belo-Docker's got any workers still living here... poor sods! You should go up there anyway, the benefits outweigh the risks.
>>
No. 1039457 ID: 15c72a

>>1039453
What can your cybernetic hands do, again? Any tools in there? Weapons? Strong grip? Good punching?

Before you approach the structure, circle around and scout out the general area and see if you can see any signs of life.
>>
No. 1039480 ID: 5d9787

If there is someone there they could turn on the lights any time? Being spotted by this is a huge risk.
We need protection, communication and food. What are the chances we would find any of those abandoned up there?
Knowing your surroundings is useful but to be able to see also mean to be able to be seen.
I'm not comfortable with the chances. Keep moving.
>>
No. 1039487 ID: 36784c

>>1039453
>’lighthouses’
>lighting up caves
You guys better put on your goggles just in case the lights on that thing still works!
>>
No. 1039491 ID: a3d127

>>1039453
Go up there. It doesn't look like it would be staffed to heavily itself, given how spindly it is. Maybe a fireteam (or whatever they call a group of four). It probably relied more on support vehicles that would go along with it.

I would be wary of the big guns on it, however. I highly doubt they are manned, instead being either automated, or remote controlled. Humans generally don't go for the automated weapons and instead go for the remote controlled ones (moral reasons), but Idk what Belenos prefer (I could see lore reasons going strongly in either direction).

Actually, one of the gun barrels is pointed up the way you came... Assuming they are lasers, could this have been what shot off the tail of the plane?



>>1039457
They can...

Grab
>>
No. 1039503 ID: 1f63e1

Any reason Bry wants to stay shirtless? And better keep your goggles at the ready, just in case of any surprise lights.
>>
No. 1039544 ID: a3d127

>>1039503
Well, aside from other potential reasons, he is naturally camouflaged with the surroundings.
>>
No. 1039546 ID: 741526
File 165922353459.png - (194.84KB , 800x600 , TQ45.png )
1039546

>could this have been what shot off the tail of the plane?
Not a chance, artillery lasers are huge and need to be driven around by trucks, the guns on the lighthouse look more intended to fend off wildlife or light vehicles.

>What can your cybernetic hands do, again? Any tools in there? Weapons? Strong grip? Good punching?
Nothing useful in a stranded situation I'm afraid. I don't have any cool tools or weapons in them, but I do have a stronger grip than normal hands, and I would be a great puncher if my fighting style was a little less cowardly.

>Before you approach the structure, circle around and scout out the general area and see if you can see any signs of life.
Good Idea. I scout around the surrounding area for life signs, but I don't see anything that could be a threat, just very small animals that hide when I get close.

>We need protection, communication, and food. What are the chances we would find any of those abandoned up there?
You would be surprised what you can find on abandoned structures. Maybe not food, tobaks always think about taking their food stashes with them when jumping ship.

>Any reason Bry wants to stay shirtless?
he tells me he likes to 'keep his assets on display.' for whom I have no idea.

I go to climb the lighthouse and ask Bry if he wants to come, He accepts but doesn't want to climb all the way up with the suitcase. Seems fair to me.

I climb up to the top, a little out of breath but in one piece. Why don't they put elevators on these things? Anyway, the first thing I see is a pair of binoculars, but they seem to be bolted to the handrail. I'm willing to bet there's another attached to the other side, effectively meaning I have a 360-degree view of my surroundings. Just from a quick glance I can see many interesting things. I leave that as one of my options for now

I also start to notice a smell, a pretty awful one. It's coming from inside the cabin. Using my horns, I can tell that there are no tobaks in there, at least not alive ones.
>>
No. 1039547 ID: 741526
File 165922355335.png - (307.47KB , 800x600 , TQ46.png )
1039547

I enter the cabin through one of its doors, and a vile stench of decay hits me. It doesn't take long to notice where it's coming from, there are several corpses in here. These tobaks have been dead for a while going by how much they have already decayed - I'd say a couple months at least. Also of note is the dried blood and dents on the walls. I'm trying to wrap my head around what killed these guys, but the empty plasma scattergun on the ground and suicide notes don't leave much to the imagination. Looks like they all had their goggles on when they died.

It's strange. Tobaks very rarely consider taking the easy way out, why couldn't they just climb down? or send out a message and wait for rescue?

There doesn't seem to be any power left in this tower, so I don't need to worry about accidentally turning on a light switch. I'm surprised by how much there still is in here, I would have thought that scavengers would've came by and taken everything by now.

What's curious is that there's a single tobak horn sitting on the table. All the corpses have their horns still attached, so this one remains unaccounted for. I look all over but I can't see the body it belongs to.
>>
No. 1039548 ID: f373c9

>dead bodies
Wow gross.

If you dont mind the Dead (or UNdead if things get EXTRA spooky...), try checking if they got anything on them of note.

Afterward, could try... chucking them out the window? At least it'd make things SLIGHTLY more hygenic (except outside where they land, that's Nature's Problem at that point.)
>>
No. 1039549 ID: 15c72a

>>1039547
Does that horn look familiar to you? Maybe like Dowser's?

Read the suicide notes. Check to see if their wounds match the supposed suicide weapon.
Check the bodies for useful stuff, check the cabinets too. You're in a bit of a survival situation so anything useful is now yours.
>>
No. 1039558 ID: 8b4456

Why is that one’s goggle green?
>>
No. 1039560 ID: 690b82

>>1039548
Ehh, they've been rotting for a while, do you REALLY want to pick them up?

>>1039549
And yeah, read suicide notes, maybe that'll explain why they did it?
Then assuming it doesn't say things like "WE'RE HAUNTED, DEMONS IN THE WALLS, AAA" then yeah, loot the everything.
>>
No. 1039561 ID: 15a025

Check inside the desk and see if there's anything else to be found?
>>
No. 1039597 ID: f3a2ce

Seems very suspicious. Aren't you guys pretty fresh to modern tech as well? I'd be pretty surprised if standard survival skills weren't common. Maybe there's some extreme local danger? Perhaps they expected someone to come finish them off? Maybe they were murdered and the killer made it look like they did it themselves? Perhaps the notes will give an idea why it looks like they decided to take the most shameful end.

Loot and clean some goggles. Check any and all everything for something useful. Even an empty gun can be used for threatening people.
>>
No. 1039600 ID: 5d9787

They've bean subjected to up to three months of bombardment. Even so it's a bit odd.

Although unpleasant this is the best case scenario we could hope for. The loot should be safe and plentiful.

Those plasma guns are lucky finds. Take the ones that are in better condition and with less contact with bodily fluids.
The firepower is appreciated but would be great if could find non-luminous weapons.

Look for functional PDAs. There is a high chance those guys would have kept those in their pockets, so use some stick like thing to poke in the hope there is something hard.

See if you can find a water canteen or a bottle you can carry. That plus some dried food could keep you going for a long time.
>>
No. 1039601 ID: b01382

>>1039547
Seach all their pockets.
look for any PDA's that can give you additional clues.
Check for wallets and MUNY!
pocket that ones horn as you might be able to use it as a shiv if someone tries to ambush you.
Take any weapon's and ammo you can find. Maybe you might get lucky and one might still have some charge in it left, or perhaps you can eek out a little more power out of the Lighthouse to charge a gun. Regardless, these guns could be used as a self defense bluff if we manage to suprise some bandits as they wont know we sont have any ammo, or we can just sell the guns for credits.
Read the notes and take them.
Rip up one of the jumpsuits and see if tou can ise the cloth to fashion a backpack for the case, they way we'll have our hand free in case we need to do things.
Take all the goggles and clean the blood with their clothes. Never know when you might need spares.
Search all the drawers for anything useful.
>>
No. 1039602 ID: 5d9787

>>1039601
Would you wear goggles that were in contact with a decomposing face for months? I'm not even sure what kind of chemical can remove the smell without destroying it.
>>
No. 1039603 ID: 741526
File 165926128313.png - (253.88KB , 800x600 , TQ47.png )
1039603

>try checking if they got anything on them of note.
I check their pockets, but they don't seem to have anything too important, just stuff like pens and I.D cards. Their PDA's and wallets are oddly missing.

>You could try... chucking them out the window? At least it'd make things SLIGHTLY more hygienic
Even with robotic hands, I'd rather not run the risk of contracting living rust disease from one of them. Also, they smell terrible. It'd be best for me to finish my business here quickly.

>Why is that one’s goggle green?
Tobaks that originate from the glade have their goggles set to a different frequency due to their differing tolerance for light, it also helps set them apart for recognition.

>Check inside the desk and see if there's anything else to be found?
I look through the desks and find many tools, some might even be useful if they had any battery left in them. Maybe I can do some tinkering here.

>Aren't you guys pretty fresh to modern tech
Sure, but we rarely get to use 'modern' tech, we are usually given simple or dated stuff, which is simple to operate and maintain while also easy to replace. There's a pretty common saying among company supervisors; Never give millions of zeny in equipment to a tobak.

>Seems very suspicious.
To me it looks straightforward, but at the same time there is certainly something off.

>Loot and clean some goggles.
I can't think of a use for them, they work just as good as my pair, and I don't think Bry needs a replacement either.

>Rip up one of their jumpsuits to make a fashion a backpack out of cloth.
Using the tools and equipment lying around, I make something rudimentary but functional. It smells a bit, but I can ignore it until I find a proper backpack.

>Even an empty gun can be used for threatening people.
Good point, I didn't even consider that. I pick it up and inspect it, it holds an empty plasma shell. There are four in total if I add them to the ones lying on the ground. And why should I threaten with an empty gun? I could find a way to rig it to battery I took out of that gun earlier and -
oh wait, I think I threw that into the river. If I check I...
Wait, the laser magazine is still in my pocket?! I've even got a chocolate bar and a half in my pockets as well? just how much have I been forgetting back there?! I could wipe the spit off the end of this scattergun barrel, and it'd be as good as new, for at least one shot if I wire it up to this (usually) incompatible magazine. My patent for my plasma blunderbuss is still pending, but there's nothing wrong with making another prototype.
>pocket that one’s horn as you might be able to use it as a shiv if someone tries to ambush you.
Oooh, another excellent Idea. I pocket my new shiv.
>Does that horn look familiar to you? Maybe like Dowser's?
It does, actually. I doubt it belongs to him though.

>Perhaps the notes will give an idea why it looks like they decided to take the most shameful end.
I skim through the notes, most of them seem to be directed to their family members and loved ones. It's pretty grim stuff, a lot of personal details that I probably shouldn't be prying into, but I need the information. They all mention that their situation is hopeless, and this is their only way out, but none are very clear on what they mean.

I notice there is a fourth note, I'm guessing it belonged to the one whose horn sat on the desk. It's very short.
>'I'm not going to kill myself. The others may think it's hopeless, but I value my life a little more than to throw it away the moment some thing that can do magnetic tricks shows up. We only have 4 shots for the scattergun left, one divided between each of us. The rest have made up their minds. I'm know what I'm doing with my shot, I'm taking my chances.

>If anybody is reading this, I have either made it back to base, or am currently "suffering a fate worse than death."

>-Telliot'
>>
No. 1039604 ID: 5d9787

Thanks Telliot, that was very informative.

The suicide notes you can leave here, unless you intent to contact their families when all of this is over.

If you got everything useful return to Bry. Show him Telliot's note and horn.
>>
No. 1039606 ID: 398700

>>1039603
baseless pondering, something around here's figured out how to manipulate brain magnetics in such a way as to cause Real Problems I think.

Be on the lookout for hallucinations, give ya boy a heads up there's potentially some weird shit afoot.
>>
No. 1039608 ID: 7b75ea

Well, I was suspicious about this being murder, but this assuaged me somewhat - this 'Telliot' just engaged in three counts of Assisted Suicide before bailing. Not sure what the horn he left behind means, but I'm assuming it means he didn't make it.

Anyway, make sure to use the vantage point to orient yourself before heading back down to Bry - that's most of the reason we came up here, after all.
>>
No. 1039609 ID: 496343

>magnetic tricks
Hoooo boy here we go again. I don't think you should worry about this right now, but just take it into consideration.

If you are done searching the inside of this thing, go back to the binoculars and look for interesting locations.
>>
No. 1039611 ID: 01fe07

>>1039603
>some thing that can do magnetic tricks
Uh oh, that sounds like it could be one of those tobak predators that Dowser mentioned one time!
>>
No. 1039618 ID: 15c72a

>>1039603
Magnetic tricks? Isn't there some predator that does something like that?
Hmm, would shooting off your horns protect against it? Or just one, in this case.

At any rate, you've got the lay of the land so get the fuck outta here and tell Bry there might be something incredibly dangerous nearby.
>>
No. 1039619 ID: b01382

>>1039603
Call down to Bry and inform him of our findings. It might be safer if he climbs up here. Perhaps he can carry the case in his mouth?
Take all the spent shots as you might be able to rechange then later, and use the tools at your disposal to to wire your magazine to the gun. Hey, maybe you could drain some of the batteries in the tools to fuel the empty cells? Actually if its only been a few months then there has to be some power left in this lighthouse.
Strip more cloth so you can make a sling for the gun and make it easier for you to climb down.
Strip more clothes so you can make a backpack for Bry.
Take the notes and see if you can or should inform the deas family memebers of their dead tobaks. Might be a mute point since theyre corpos, plus the company might had already informed them. Meh.
>>
No. 1039624 ID: c28082

>>1039547

Weird that this Telliot guy is presumably missing just a horn.

>>1039603

At first I wanted to say I had the WORST feeling this wasn't a group suicide (since why would they have bullet holes in their skulls, too?), but Telliot's note makes more sense, out of all of them, and might be WHY they knocked off a horn.

If whatever this is can mess with your magneto-senses, then they might have been trying to prevent that.

Do you recognize the name?
>>
No. 1039626 ID: 899c9f

He may have left his horn here as a... decoy? Anyway, the presence of rifle and absence of tobak says he's probably suffered the latter. Check in on Bry down there with the binoculars, and tell him he'd better come upstairs.
>>
No. 1039649 ID: b0b5f8

>>1039626
I think Telliot shot his horn off because it improves his chances against the predator. He left the rifle since it was out of ammo.
>>
No. 1039653 ID: a3d127

>>1039603
Honestly magnetic tricks seem like something super easy to do, especially with your knowledge of how wiring and electricity works. It seems weird that they would be spooked by somebody with some magnets.
>>
No. 1039679 ID: a0a93b

>>1039649
Hmm - what's the base of the horn look like? Does it look like it was cut off, broken off...shot off?

>>1039653
Mmmmaybe some kind of biological encryption makes that really difficult?
>>
No. 1039681 ID: b0b5f8

>>1039653
IIRC permanent magnets wouldn't do much, it's more about magnets with a pulse.
>>
No. 1039701 ID: 741526
File 165936548234.png - (260.57KB , 800x600 , TQ48.png )
1039701

>Do you recognize the name?
I don't know any Telliots.

>what's the base of the horn look like? Does it look like it was cut off, broken off...shot off?
It's smooth and blackened, very likely shot off by the plasma scattergun.

>sounds like it could be one of those tobak predators
Tobak... predators... Head Splitters?
I've only heard rumors about those, I thought they were a complete myth! I've never seen one before, but the stories can end up pretty gruesome. Apparently tobak predators can use magnetism to keep groups of tobaks subservient, protecting them and tracking down meals for them. Apparently tobaks that get assimilated resist at first but eventually succumb to some form of Stockholm syndrome, and those that resist long enough get their heads... well... y'know. Split by getting the horns magnetically pulled in different directions.

>would shooting off your horns protect against it? Or just one, in this case.
No horns mean no magnetism, so effectively that'd save you from its influence. Just one horn though? It might save you from getting ripped apart, but you wouldn't be free from its control. Our friend Telliot is likely one with the predator’s herd.


I get to work on making this gun compatible with the laser rifle magazine, just need a bit of jury rigging.

Before I became a co-pilot, I was a repair guy and occasional tinkerer provided I had the right equipment. The lighthouse is stocked with just about everything I could ask for, it seems they kept repair equipment around in case somebody broke something, which I guess must've happened frequently. Hooking this thing up should be a breeze, I got a soldering iron powered with a nearly drained power supply with enough wires, solder, and duct tape to make anything work out of sheer brute force. They even got my favourite kind of wire stripper.
The one benefit to having metal fingers is that I can hold the soldering iron by the hot part and not get yelled at by my supervisor.

What I end up with is a plasma blunderbuss, a plunderbuss if you will. It's good for at least one shot which will drain the whole battery at once to effectively erase anything that happens to be within touching distance. The downside is that the shot will be so powerful, the barrel won't be able to take it and will likely split open like a banana, which would be cool but make the weapon difficult to use as a bluff. I will need to decide where to use it accordingly.
I also use more ripped cloth to create a sling for carrying the gun.
>>
No. 1039702 ID: 741526
File 165936549309.png - (329.95KB , 800x600 , TQ49.png )
1039702

>If you are done searching the inside of this thing, go back to the binoculars and look for interesting locations.
I walk over to a pair of binoculars to have a look around, but not before bringing Bry up to speed on the situation. I hear the faint sound of distant motorbikes, and I look around to spot where it's coming from.

There they are, in a northern direction. It's a couple of motorbikes, both bearing the company colors and marks of the Talion cooperation. one is a longer, speedier model and the other appears to have a sidecar. The strange thing is that they appear to be driven by nothing by sect, which I would think is a bad idea given their eyesight, they must be following a pheromone trail, meaning there is a queen very close by. Are they a scouting group patrolling a path? or are they making their way somewhere? Either way, they are out of the way and don't seem like they'll be an issue for us unless we head north.

Are Talion the ones that shot us down? It makes sense, they are a company that develops a lot of military equipment, vehicles, and heavy weapons - a laser artillery truck wouldn't be unexpected from them, but why hide it and pin blame on Edevane? It's not like Summit is on the best terms with Talion, even if our rivalry isn't as strong as it is with the Belo-Dockers.

If me and Bry could get our hands on one of those bikes, we could get back to our territory in no time, but we'd need to think of something.

I look around and see a few more things of note.
The rookie plane we shot down appears to have crash landed in a field of dirt, there may be a chance that its pilot survived, which may give us clues to what's happening.
I also see a feint green glow somewhat close to the path the sect are driving on. It appears to be a very miniscule light frequency if it isn't blinding me, which is surprising. It also seems to be moving around slowly.
I see a bike with a sidecar just sitting out in the open. It lacks markings, looking like it belongs to an independent. I think we could use it more than whoever it belongs to.
Looks like there's an entrance to a summit bunker that has been locked shut. If I can find a way to get in, Bry and I could use the equipment inside to send a message back to one of our bases, maybe get a recovery team sent our way.
>>
No. 1039703 ID: 2679c3

Go for the bunker. You’re a tobak who’s good with his hands, you could pry it right open.
>>
No. 1039704 ID: c28082

>>1039702

Check in with the independent, then the bunker as a fallback. If we can pass ourselves off as two down-on-our-luck tobaks, we might be able to slip back to neutral ground (or Summit) and figure things out from there.

As for the fuzzy buzzies, man, look at them go. Bumble-buddies go brrrrrrrrr.
>>
No. 1039707 ID: 6d3279

Oh hey, it's that sect with the ashtray on his head! Leaves little doubt that their leader's close, but only on a meta level.

Without a doubt, bunker's the best shot you have. Summit may not give a shit about rescue per se, but if their rivals are teaming up and expending high-value resources like spies they'll totally maximize how expensive this op is for the hostile force and deny them their objective if they have the ability to do so.
Secondary option is the vehicle, it'd be easy to put a false Talion logo on it to fool those sect drones. Whatever orders they have, odds are low that their unquestioning minds are equipped to deal with false flags.
>>
No. 1039708 ID: 02516d

I like the idea of searching the bunker more.
>>
No. 1039709 ID: 5d9787

The way you handle those tools is atrocious. I've seen worst examples but those end up offering me the opportunity to sadistically disinfect their wounds with pure alcohol before sending them to the hospital next door to have their arteries stitched closed. Good times...

I'm still betting on moving unnoticed, so I don't thing getting anywhere near a hive is a good idea, but in case we do there is a medieval horse robber trick that could work well here: stretch a rope between two stalagmites just above the height of the bike. If you happen to predict their path correctly this should break their necks, maybe even decapitate.

The lonely bike look too good to be true. Maybe it's a golden opportunity, maybe it will cause an angry confrontation with the owner, or maybe there is a reason it was abandoned.

If it looks like the bunker is uninhibited it sound like the safer option. Let's go there.
>>
No. 1039713 ID: 7c0da2

The downed plane may have a radio. And if he is still there I like the idea of interrogating the pilot, because the whole thing is weird. There is just too many people around here. Edevane, Talion, whoever shot you, Summit, at least one independent doing whatever... It's getting rather crowded.
>>
No. 1039714 ID: f3a2ce

>but why hide it and pin blame on Edevane?
It could just be that knew Edevane would be here and want it as well, with Sam and the gun being Talion's doing. Or they're working together. Which would be worse but very unlikely.

>Apparently tobak predators can use magnetism to keep groups of tobaks subservient, protecting them and tracking down meals for them.
So they puppet your nervous systems through entry of your horns? I would imagine they have a similar system made of metal for the magnetism required.

I'd say plane or the bunker. Whichevers closer, you need to report your findings here. You could probably blast off the lock and maybe also the door of that bunker with that jury-rigged gun of yours, assuming you won't have to use it before then.

If this information is true, you may end up facing off with your crewmates at some point. I would also recommend you make sure Bry is still down there.
>>
No. 1039723 ID: a3d127

>>1039701
>predator rumors
That sounds so precisely like the neumono predator that somewhere along the line the two have to have been conflated. I don't doubt there is some sort of magnetic predator, but how the hell would mind control even work? (hmm, unless it isn't mind control, but instead it kills the victims, and then puppets the corpses' nervous systems to keep them fresh for later...)


--

If you can see it clearly, check the cockpit of the downed plane. If the glass is blown cleanly off, then the guy bailed out and could be anywhere. if not, it would definitely be worth going over even if the guy is dead since the ejection seats generally carry a survival kit with a first aid kit, navigation and survival tools, flare gun, matches, life raft, blankets, and a compact carbine. It would be very useful to have that gear.
>>
No. 1039744 ID: 15c72a

>>1039702
>why hide it and pin blame on Edevane?
Probably to prevent it getting stolen back, or stolen again by someone else.

Go to the bunker. At the very least, it'll have more supplies, but it's likely that the bunker has some way of contacting Summit for an extraction. It's also unlikely to be related to the Splitter, whereas the green light and independent bike are potentially signs that it's nearby.
>>
No. 1039785 ID: 741526
File 165943498375.png - (246.06KB , 800x600 , TQ50.png )
1039785

>The lonely bike looks too good to be true
I guess there is the chance it could be a trap. I better not go for it, just in case.

>If you can see it clearly, check the cockpit of the downed plane.
I can't get a good view of it. I don't see anybody wandering around, so the pilot is either dead or they ejected already.

>Edevane, Talion, whoever shot you, Summit, at least one independent doing whatever... It's getting rather crowded.
Independents I can understand, they go wherever valuable salvage is. All these companies in one place? It is unusual. Then again, the wind tunnels connect up a lot of territory. They might all be passing through, or maybe something far less coincidental is going on.

>stretch a rope between two stalagmites just above the height of the bike. If you happen to predict their path correctly this should break their necks, maybe even decapitate.
Now that's an idea. I need to find a strong wire or cable to do it first.

We decide to make my way towards the Summit bunker, which seems like the safer and more fruitful option. I pack everything I picked up, including a number of useful tools and items. Hopefully I'm capable of finding a way to contact a higher up to see if a recovery team can be sent.

Bry and I arrive in front of the abandoned compound and easily slip through the destroyed fence. It looks like we weren't the first to visit by the Looks of it, scavengers got here long before we did. All the crates and barrels have been opened and all the parked vehicles have had their parts taken.

The outside seemingly devoid of anything valuable to us, I wonder if anyone has managed to get to anything inside the bunker. Most of the structure seems to be elevated above ground level, but there is a basement which seems to be accessible. There is a large steel door that looks like it was made for vehicles to go through, but it's locked shut. There is a smaller double door, but that seems harder to get through because it is welded shut.

>You’re a tobak who’s good with his hands, you could pry it right open.
I-I'm not that good with my hands! Not to say I'd be against that plan if I could do it.

I have no doubt that the operations here have ceased long ago, but for what reason I have no idea. Seems Summit locked up tight to prevent it being broken into and used by rival companies. Seems there aren't any obvious ways in, I might need to get creative.
>>
No. 1039786 ID: f373c9
File 165943675181.png - (5.71KB , 154x97 , hole.png )
1039786

Say... you think we could possibly get up in there somehow, with a rope or such?
>>
No. 1039787 ID: 5d9787

Take a look at the control panel next to the door. Maybe you can mess with the wires to open the larger door.
With what you have I'm not seeing many options. You could shot it but that is far less effective at opening doors than the movies suggest. If the vehicles have functional engines and strong chains you could improvise a mechanism to break the bar but that is a lot of ifs and a too much work.
Climbing the window seem to be the best you can do. Don't fall.
>>
No. 1039788 ID: 899c9f

Get at the control panel and hack the mainframe.
>>
No. 1039798 ID: a3d127

>>1039786
This seems like the best course of action.

Check if one of the vehicles has a winch still attached to it that we could nab the wire off of.

I see a halftrack in the background. It looks like the rear treads are still there. We could take two or three links off of it and fashion it into a grappling hook.
>>
No. 1039808 ID: 7c0da2

The hole in the roof seems like a good idea. Try to go around the bunker to look for something to improvise a grappling hook with or failing that, anything that might help you climb. And maybe some other side of the bunker will be easier to climb.
>>
No. 1039810 ID: fdb350

>prevent it being used by other companies
Ha, no. One of the rules of security is that nothing abandoned is secure. With a little patience and proper tools people could easily bust in and set up shop. Preventing its use would mean blowing it up. Odds are better that they mothballed the place, but never returned because it had no use, or they just forgot it existed.

Purple stuff is weird. Or did they just build it out of a wall?

Well, surely it's been noticed... Wait, nobody said a word? Welp. Hey guys, to the right of the door there's a vent, which should allow access.
>>
No. 1039811 ID: 36784c

>>1039785
There’s a vent next to the big door. You guys might be able to get in through there.

Although, it’s weird that such an obvious entry point hasn’t been opened yet. Maybe someone put the vent cover back in place after entering or exiting?

>>1039787
>>1039788
>control panel
That’s not a control panel. That’s a vent.

>>1039810
>No one noticed vent?
It was noticed, but a few people mistakenly thought it was a control panel for the door.
>>
No. 1039813 ID: 15c72a

>>1039785
Is that a vent? Can you open it up?
>>
No. 1039884 ID: b01382

>>1039785
Bry is the pilot/driver, and you're the mechanic. If Bry knows how to use a gun and knows trigger discipline gi e the plumberbuss to him so se can use our tools to unlock the door. Explain to Bry the modifications we've made. Its one use, and will kill anything up lose, but dont expect to hit anything too far.

Also give Bry's ass a squeeze. You might as well if theres a chance you might die today.
>>
No. 1039925 ID: 741526
File 165956102722.png - (212.14KB , 800x600 , TQ51.png )
1039925

>Get at the control panel and hack the mainframe.
I wish there was a control panel or a mainframe to hack into, but alas, it seems there's no such thing. The door must've been remote controlled. It's a shame too - I've always wanted to say 'I'm in' out loud.

>The hole in the roof seems like a good idea.
It could be if I had a way up there. I try climbing the cliff but the rocks are too smooth.

>Fashion a grappling hook out of the halftrack treads.
I can't get the track off the wheels, and even if I could, it'd be too heavy to throw anywhere.

>There’s a vent next to the big door. You guys might be able to get in through there.
Oh right. I forget that people in bunkers still need air. Unfortunately, it'll a little high up for just one tobak, it's a good thing I have Bry with me

I ask Bry to give me a boost and he obliges. His shoulders make a sturdy stepladder, but I won't say that out loud. I hand him the gun to hold onto and explain the modifications I made to it. Using a screwdriver I brought with me, I start to unscrew the vent cover.

>it’s weird that such an obvious entry point hasn’t been opened yet. Maybe someone put the vent cover back in place after entering or exiting?
That's true... Now that it's been pointed out, these screws are quite worn, some are even missing. Maybe this bunker isn't untouched after all.

I slide the vent cover off and I now have access to the bunker. There is one problem though, Bry doesn't have a way in. Looks like I'll have to find a way to let him in.
"Hey Bry, you mind if I go in and find a way to open this door?"
>"I see. There's no way I can get in from here. Not an issue, do try to be quick though."
"Are you good to look after the suitcase? What about the gun? Should I go in empty handed, or should I bring one with me?"
>"Up to you. If you're going to be gone, do you mind if I take a smoke break?"
"I guess not."

I'm a bit worried with Bry being out by himself without a weapon to defend himself, but I'm also worried about going in completely unarmed. what if I bump into a ghost or something?
>>
No. 1039926 ID: 398700

>>1039925
screwdriver is a serviceable shiv and we're gonna be in a tight space, leave him the gun.
>>
No. 1039927 ID: 36784c

>>1039925
What happened to you robot hands? Do you suddenly grow normal fleshy hands over them?

>Bry doesn't have a way in.
Can’t you just pull him up? Have him give you the briefcase and gun, then turn around and pull him up.
>>
No. 1039928 ID: 15c72a

>>1039925
Take the briefcase, leave the gun with Bry. It should be fairly quick to see if the place has been looted anyway.
>>
No. 1039929 ID: 899c9f

The suitcase has a built in flashlight. Take that and use it as a weapon.
>>
No. 1039944 ID: 5d9787

The kind of threat I imagine you are likely to find inside would be either wild life or automated guns. Considering this place condition if there are any tobaks inside they would probable be independent bums.
Bry will be emitting a purple smoke in an open area when there are enemies patrols, including the olfactory orientated variate.
Since you are more likely to face an enemy alone the single shot would be more likely to help you than Bry, on the other hand Bry is more likely to be confronted by trouble than you. It's a difficult choice but I think it's better to leave the gun with Bry, at least you can hide better than him if you find trouble.

Ideally you shouldn't have to make this choice. There is really no way to pull him up? Can't you lay belly up, press the vent walls for support and let Bry climb your legs? Use cloths as improvised rope? No way at all?
>>
No. 1039947 ID: 7c0da2

Give the gun to Bry, he is the one guarding the suitcase, and we still don't know if it can be tracked.
>>
No. 1039957 ID: dda1f1

Where did Coil's gun go?
>>
No. 1039965 ID: ef3089

>>1039957

they probably forgot to draw it
>>
No. 1039989 ID: c28082

>>1039925

Ghosts aren't real, they can't hurt you.

Forward facing tobaks, however ...
>>
No. 1040041 ID: b01382

>>1039925
You don't have to leave Bry behind, at least not for long. If you go in deep enough into the vent and there's and intersection, or if you're flexible enough to turn around in the vent, you can easily maneuver around and make your way back to where Bry is. You could then reach down a hand for Bry to off load the suitcase, then gun, then you could reach down an arm for Bry to jump up and grab. You would them pull him up, and you can both make your merry way into the facility.
>>
No. 1040047 ID: 02516d

Is there a palce for him to take cover? Once you open the doors he will hear it and come to you, so he doesn't need stay by the door.
>>
No. 1040061 ID: a3629a

Can't you lend him some rope or leg to climb up? If not, I would say to let him have the weapon. There mighy or might not be enemies inside. There are enemies outside...
>>
No. 1040066 ID: 708905

>>1039925
Could you hold onto the inside of the vent whike he uses your body as a ladder?
>>
No. 1040136 ID: b01382

>>1039925
Kiss Bry!
>>
No. 1040137 ID: 84c07e
File 165972569832.png - (376.60KB , 800x600 , TQ52.png )
1040137

>Is there really no way of pulling him up?
Not in a way that I find quick or comfortable. I ask Bry to see if he can find a crate or barrel he could use to get in while I get a head start, he seems to agree on that plan.

Otherwise, I can look for a way to open the door electronically or find a rope to pass down to him.

I leave the gun with Bry, he is more likely to encounter a threat on the outside after all. I take the suitcase with me, I can't have Bry do all the heavy lifting.

I wander the halls of this abandoned bunker, looking for a generator that still works. It's quite spacious in here, and dirty. How long has this place been abandoned? Probably longer than I have been alive. I wouldn't call this place looted as I see a few raw materials here and there, but there isn't a whole lot worth taking. After a short while I hear the sound of a generator running. That's odd, has it been on all this time? There seems to be wires coming from it, so it must be powering something. My curiosity gets the best of me, I follow the wires.
>>
No. 1040139 ID: 84c07e
File 165972576191.png - (261.58KB , 800x600 , TQ53.png )
1040139

I notice a miniscule amount of light coming from around one of the corners that the wires lead to, I put my goggles on as I approach to investigate. My horns aren't picking up any magnetic signatures, so there aren't any other tobaks around besides myself. The light comes from a room where I hear speaking, I carefully peer inside to see who it's coming from.

I see an alien sitting at a desk full of computer monitors. It's a neumono, his lack of horns, tails and an earthy non-pastel palette gave him away instantly. He seems tiny, even by tobak standards. Does he work for that neumono mining company? If he did, why isn't he wearing the uniform? Better yet where is his hive? Could he be a rogue who decided to go independent? I don't see any red cloth to indicate that, nor do I see many aliens coming here for that kind of work in the first place.

>"Mister Jade, give me a status."
...
>"Too much information. Mister Crimson, give me an update."
...
>"Alright, what about you Mister Tan?"
...
>"I didn't expect him to survive the crash. Ask him questions and tie up that loose end, we don't need him anymore. Mister Amber, you feel like speaking up?"
...
>"Didn't think so. Mister Olive, what is your status."
...
>"Mister Olive. Answer me. You better be on a bathroom break or something, because I need to know that you're watching my ass and that I'm not by myself in here."
...
>"Alright then, don't blame me if your pay gets docked. Mister Teal, do you have an update for me?"
...
>"Keep looking, we have all day to find it. Snow, Silver and Gold, let me know if any of your trackers start to point you in a particular direction."
>>
No. 1040140 ID: 84c07e
File 165972577987.png - (263.11KB , 800x600 , TQ54.png )
1040140

An abandoned bunker is an odd place to host a lan party, but I shouldn't be too judgemental - I know a guy who watches TV in all sorts of weird places. One thing which brings me unease is that weapon he has strapped under his shoulder, which doesn't look like any nailgun that I've ever seen.

>"Alright, I'll fill you all in on what I can see on the cameras. First off, we are not the only ones occupying the area. There are a few independents scattered around but they are otherwise uninvolved, so avoid them. So far, the Talion corporation seems to be the only dominion which has any presence in the wind tunnels. They are running patrols and sending out scouting groups, it is unknown what their motive is, but avoid them. A Talion army is not too far away, but they are slow in dragging around their equipment and establishing supply lines, looks like they are gearing up to launch an occupation of sorts. Let’s make our business quick if this turns out to be the case."

>"Regarding the talion patrols, most of them seem to be Sect, a species that comes from this planet similar tobaks. They are comparable in height but vary a lot in physiology. Sect are a hivemind led by a queen, who seems to be going in and out of the area. Don't worry about being spotted by a sect, their eyesight apparently leaves much to be desired, but they have a keen sense of smell, so keep your distances just in case."

>"There are two tobaks we need to worry about, the tourist and Lak. I spotted the tourist on camera nine about ten minutes ago, he won't be a problem for a while. If you see him, shoot him. He doesn't seem that smart, but he is patient. I have seen no trace of Lak, but he is one hundred percent the bigger threat. I don't know much about tobaks, but I know that he is a genius by most intelligent species’ standards. He has yet to turn up, but if I see him on the cameras, I need one of you to take care of him as soon as possible."

>"I've intercepted a few company communications, and it seems that both the Summit Mining Company and Edevane Chemicals are both planning on sending over people to investigate the crashes. Here's hoping we're gone by the time they get here."

>"Good question, that leads me to a little reminder I wanted to make, - if we don't get to the suitcase first and destroy the box inside alongside obtaining proof of doing so, we won't see a single zeny for our efforts. This should be an easy last job, and none of us will have to work again if the board upholds their end of the deal. That being said, there should be no excuses."

A suitcase huh? Like the one I have? I wonder what the fascination is.
>>
No. 1040141 ID: 15c72a

He mentioned trackers. Your suitcase is being tracked...

Well, you have to survive and hide until Summit arrives, that's for sure. Tempting to sneak up on this guy and steal the gun to use against him but neumono are hard to put down, he'll probably overpower you before you manage it. Also if you DO manage that, everyone will converge on this location once he goes silent.

So uh, just walk away. In fact, get the hell out of here, because Mister Olive being missing means that someone else is likely in here and has killed him. Well, before you go, can you find the armory?
>>
No. 1040142 ID: 5d9787

This guy seem to be coordinating the group responsible for the attack. If we could take him down and disable his equipment their efficiency should decrease significantly.
He also mentioned that he should be accompanied by someone who seem to be absent at the moment, so if we are going to do something this moment is likely the best opportunity we will have. If we wait Mister Olive will return.

Could you sneak behind him and take his gun? He is a neumono but he is small, so I'm unsure if you can overpower him or not.

I'm a bit concern that Coil might be the one he referred as the tourist. Probable not considering the patient description, but the shot on sign order put me on edge about being seeing by those people even if they can't identify Coil.
The suspicious that the shot on sight order refer to you could be a very useful justification for aggression if you want to avoid identifying yourself and maybe pretend to be an independente. If you end up conversing with him use that lie for as long as you can.
>>
No. 1040143 ID: 5d9787

>>1040141
>... Mister Olive being missing means that someone else is likely in here and has killed him.
The last frase directed toward Mister Oliver make it seem like he offered some form of justification before:
>"Alright then, don't blame me if your pay gets docked.
I think he is still alive just currently occupied, maybe investigating something suspicious.
>>
No. 1040144 ID: 660765

This guy mentioned Mister Tan, who is Sam's contact. Sounds like he just told him to murder the rookie Edevane pilot, so don't hesitate to kill this guy if you can. He's shown he deserves it in less than a minute.

However neumono are notoriously difficult to kill. And the only weapon you have is a suitcase. In addition, sounds like he's got a bodyguard, albeit currently unavailabke.
>>
No. 1040145 ID: e5709d

Give mission control a surprise to remember, then. And a lesson to put cameras in the camera room.
Sneak out, cannibalize the suitcase of anything important, douse it in oil, get a match, then sneak back up and shout, "oh, you mean THIS evidence?" Then set it on fire while he watches.

Losing proof that he completed the job will throw him off-guard, long enough to beat his ass by picking up the flaming suitcase with your robot hands and beating him to death with it.
>>
No. 1040147 ID: f3a2ce

Would not recommend engaging him in any way. If the call is interrupted they'll most likely know exactly where to head. That being said, if this place still has any communications equipment you could use the running generator to power it. He says crews from summit are on the way, but not here yet. Maybe it would be best to hunker in the bunker and keep eavesdropping on the smol neumono.

Keep an eye and ear out for mr.Olive. He makes it sound like he's in here with you guys.
>>
No. 1040148 ID: a3ae99

>>1040144
ETA: If you grab his neck and squeeze with all the strength of your mechanical hands, can you break/tear it?

And if he manages to croak out "What are you doing?", make a point to throw his words back at him: "I believe you called it 'tie up a loose end'."
>>
No. 1040150 ID: c28082

>>1040140

Might as well carry on, or see if they don't mind our helping for a cut, maybe. Up to you, but keep in mind, he DOES have a weapon.

>>1040148

Bro this is twelve kinds of fucked up. Not everything is a bad Call of Duty game. You need someone to like, talk to, or something?
>>
No. 1040151 ID: 9a2966

Weeelp. You found the hideout of the guys looking to destroy the suitcase. Whoever this 'board' is, they're paying big money to get it done - to... a bunch of offworlders, it sounds like? And Talion's in the area, but not Summit or Edevane. Dang. That means you want to hide - and get out of the wind tunnels, ASAP, before Talion control is established.

I would also point out that if you take out this guy his absence is going to be a verrry big clue to all of his presumably well-armed friends that something's up in the location he's at. And he does have a bodyguard somewhere around here. You should leave, get Bry and slink off. If there's anything you can do here... figure out what areas these guys have under surveillance and avoid them, I guess?

Mm. If you do take out this guy and mess up the equipment here, you do blind them to a degree.

Three people appear to have trackers that can track you and the suitcase down - Snow, Silver and Gold. If you can figure out where those guys are and take them out or destroy their trackers you might have a much greater chance of actually getting away. Any clues based out of the cameras?

Know anything about these two Tobaks, though? Tourist and... Lak? Weird nicknames.

Could also maybe use the comms equipment this guy has to call for help. Of course, that means taking 'im out somehow and isn't he one of those alien guys who can regen limbs, read your mind and shit? Sounds risky without something more hardcore.

That said, uh, can you override the grip governors on those robotic limbs of your and put on some serious hurt squeeze? In that case you could grab his arms and, well, break 'em. But I do suggest making it so he can't call for help first - like by disabling his equipment in a clever way. Disconnecting some wiring, causing loss of power, say? Ugh, it's risky though. Your best bet might just be creeping up on him while he's unaware now and talking with other people.

You could also just... stick around here and spy on them more, while preparing an ambush for whoever has trackers and as they trickle in, take 'em on and cut their comms and surveillance and then make a run for it.
>>
No. 1040152 ID: 99ca7b

He has a weapon. You have darkvision. Get out of there. Quietly, and see if there's a power cable you can unplug on your way.
>>
No. 1040158 ID: e5709d

>>1040150
We're talking about the asshole commanding the operation that shot down the Summit plane. He's ordering his subordinates to hunt down the survivors - he even ordered one of them to execute a POW. He's a combatant, and his gun proves it.
>>
No. 1040174 ID: f237fa

See, nothing abandoned is secure.
Oh, the spy from earlier mentioned a Mr Tan, so it appears this person is linked to whoever shot down the plane.

Should you kill the power, it'd put you at a combat advantage, especially if the bodyguard has no ability to see in darkness. Extra points if you ambush the guy that goes to get stuff online. However, the bodyguard may be quiet because he's got a bead on you and is attempting to ambush. Eyes peeled. Still, disabling the power would also screw up hostile comms, so that would also be good. Final consideration is to keep goggles on in case power goes online, regardless of how.

Probably best case scenario here is dealing with the two here. Do so and you've got a lot of options. Eavesdrop or deny hostile comms, probably get the ability to contact Summit, maybe get prisoners to question if you capture the hostiles alive. Of course, if this stuff allows you to call up Fletcher, you've also got a way to secure the place to hold out for rescue.
>>
No. 1040176 ID: 02a90d

>>1040150
This guy was dead to me the moment he casually ordered the execution of a prisoner (though I suppose he deserves congratulations for managing to mark himself for death in under 30 seconds). However we're a bit light on weapons, so I'm just taking stock of what we do have on hand. It's gruesome but it's all we have (plus it's relatively silent).

>>1040174
Taking out the power sounds like a great idea indeed. Check for light sources, do they all connect to the cable from the generator?
>>
No. 1040182 ID: 2779dc

Wait a sec, here's an option that's semi-safe.
Leave, go get Fletcher, and go seal team six on this compound.
Seriously, if there's only 2 people, her squad should tear it to shreds. Especially if the power is still dead upon arrival or a stealth operative kills it before they move to secure the place.
>>
No. 1040188 ID: 5d9787

>>1040182
He doesn't seem to realize he is currently alone with an enemy, but there is and entire team monitoring and targeting Fletcher's team. There is no way we can bring our guys over without them bringing their guys as well.
>>
No. 1040200 ID: 936bd9

>Prisoner/POW
Oh, it's worse. Far worse. Operative words are loose end, which implies they know info that could compromise/expose these people or their operations if left alive.
>Or them being taken prisoner has in itself made them a loose end
Were that the case, the statements "didn't expect him to survive the crash" and "we don't need him anymore" are very unusual. First statement implies they knew about this guy beforehand, while the second is damning, as it in concert with the first heavily implies that he was involved with these people. Possibly the one who placed the targeting beacon in the tail. So they're not killing a prisoner, they're killing a guy who helped them pull this off.
>Well, that's bad, but at least this traitor got what they deserved.
Heh. Well, maybe, or maybe it's even worse. Perhaps this guy is just a traitor who got bribed, but it could also be that they recruited this guy in a similar way to how they recruited Sam, with high debt they use as leverage.

So, in sum, worst case is they promised to erase a poor guy's debt for help with the op, yet from the get-go were gonna murder the guy because they were fully aware his help would turn him into a loose end.

Suffice to say, these guys are absolute scumbags.

>>1040188
Seems more like they're looking, but haven't found, but even if they did...
Wouldn't they do that once the neumono's dead regardless? With the comms lost, they'd investigate.
So, the options are:
1) Somehow kill the two here, flee, let the bunker be retaken by a well armed group of troops, go to square 1
2) Go get Fletcher, rush the place before it gets reinforced, call Summit for aid, relax in a building *made for defense* for Summit's help
>>
No. 1040204 ID: 899c9f

The neumono's got a holster, so direct confrontation is right out unless you find a weapon. Be on the lookout for his number two, who may be busy with number two right now. Try and take him by surprise, then cut the generator's power.
>>
No. 1040228 ID: a9af05

>>1040140
Sneak away as quietly as possible. Could you unplug some of those cables and rip them up so they can't be plugged back in?

>>1040150
>that's fucked up
This guy established himself as part of the group responsible for shooting down the plane we were on, which makes him an enemy. Why are you so surprised that someone made a suggestion to kill him? It's a natural thing to want to do.
>>
No. 1040258 ID: b01382

>>1040140
hey he's kinda cute.
>>
No. 1040259 ID: b01382

>>1040148
Sneak attack choking is probably the best way to go about it. If you can't kill em, choke em out. That or spam flechette until they run out of blood and meat.

>>1039702
lmfao that's the same chucklnutts ashtray wearing motherfucker, so we're up against THAT hive queen lady? neat.
>>
No. 1040381 ID: 84c07e
File 165999449834.png - (298.57KB , 800x600 , TQ55.png )
1040381

>This guy seems to be coordinating the group responsible for the attack. If we could take him down and disable his equipment their efficiency should decrease significantly.
That's true. I may be alone (With Bry) but I should still try to do something about this situation, because leaving this place without doing anything might bite me in the ass later.

>Could you sneak behind him and take his gun? He is a neumono but he is small, so I'm unsure if you can overpower him or not.
I could do that given that these guys have a slower reaction time, but I don't know if he has another weapon like a knife or something. My knowledge on this type of alien is limited, but I know that a pistol isn't going to stop him. Neither is hitting him with a suitcase, I guess.

>Could you hurt him with your hands?
Probably, however I'm not sure how effective that'd be, or if I would win that encounter given that he still has a gun.

>Leave, go get Fletcher, and go seal team six on this compound.
I would love to do that if it were an option. Unfortunately, I don't know where Fletcher or the rest of the plane's crew went. Even if I did, this guy would probably see us coordinating an attack on the cameras and call his buddies to defend him.

>Know anything about these two Tobaks, though? Tourist and... Lak? Weird nicknames.
I don't know who Lak is or what company he works for. The tourist rings a bell though, supposedly someone that does a lot of corporate espionage - an urban legend, nothing more than folklore for independents.

>This guy mentioned Mister Tan, who is Sam's contact. Sounds like he just told him to murder the rookie Edevane pilot
I guess we're not dealing with particularly kind individuals.

>Three people appear to have trackers that can track you and the suitcase down - Snow, Silver and Gold. If you can figure out where those guys are and take them out or destroy their trackers, you might have a much greater chance of actually getting away. Any clues based out of the cameras?
It's hard to make out anything on the cameras from here, but it does look like a few are being worn by people. I'd need a closer look.

>You could also just... stick around here and spy on them more
I listen quietly in case he lets out any useful information, but it doesn't take too long for him to go quiet and start scanning the cameras. A couple of minutes later he picks up and starts reading a magazine full of pictures of guns and scantily clad neumono women. It isn't fair, why don't we get our own magazines?

>hey he's kinda cute.
I can see him bring Bry's type (which is everyone and everything.)

>Check for light sources, do they all connect to the cable from the generator?
That they do. All of the lights in this room seem to be coming from the various screens. There are also floodlights that are turned off, but they all connect to the same source.
>>
No. 1040382 ID: 84c07e
File 165999451080.png - (224.51KB , 800x600 , TQ56.png )
1040382

>Keep an eye and ear out for mr.Olive. He makes it sound like he's in here with you guys.
I'm looking and listening close for anyone else in the bunker's halls, thankfully things are pretty quiet. I wonder if he's an alien like the neumono or if he's from here, either way I'm being careful.

>He has a weapon. You have darkvision. Get out of there. Quietly, and see if there's a power cable you can unplug on your way.
Now that's an idea. For too long the aliens have used light as a weapon against tobaks, so let's see how the aliens like being in the dark for once.

I grip the generator switch and I swing it down, stopping the flow of power and bringing the generator noise down to complete silence. I listen in for the neumono's reaction.

>"GOD. DAMN IT. AGAIN?!"
There it is.
>"ANCIENT GODDAMN GENERATOR."
Sounds like he believed it was an accident. That's good news for me because I get to have the drop on him. By the sounds of it, he is coming out to switch the generator back on. If I had to guess, he is coming out with a flashlight that chews up less power than dark-vision goggles.

>Could you unplug some of those cables and rip them up so they can't be plugged back in?
I could, but if I can take out this guy, I could use his cameras to figure out where Fletcher's squad is. I might even be able to use his computer to send out a message to HQ.
>>
No. 1040383 ID: 899c9f

Set the briefcase down in a corner and open it so the light is on, and hide by the door. Get the flashlight away from him first, and then take him out with your special hands.
>>
No. 1040384 ID: 15c72a

>>1040382
>he's got a flashlight
Well, that will partially negate the darkness advantage. Still, you have to get that gun away from him first because if he shoots you even once it's all over and you need a gun to even have a chance of knocking him out.
Hide behind something nearby, in a spot where you can ambush him before he gets close enough to see that the generator has been purposely switched off. Once he sees the switch, he'll know there's an intruder and go on high alert.

Optimally, you snag the gun, use it to shoot the flashlight, then take your time to aim and shoot him in the head a couple times to knock him out.
>>
No. 1040385 ID: 2de4fd

I know you want to take this guy out but it's probably not a great idea. Better idea would be to fray the power wires to ruin them so there's multiple problems with the power, ideally slow-to-fix-ones, and get the hell outta there while he can't play mission control so well. I'd say break his keyboard or something too but the more things you change admittedly the more clear it is that someone's screwing with things; maybe you could fray the power cable somewhere that looks natural?
>>
No. 1040386 ID: 9a2966

Wait around a corner or behind a piece of machinery until he starts tinkering with the machinery (and preferably before he notices the switch was just turned off) and has his hands and eyes busy, then come up behing, bonk 'im, choke him, sneak steal his gun, whatever comes natural and seems necessary to capture him. Keep in mind he might be on live comms headset, so it'd be GREAT if you could take that out of the picture ASAP.

If he somehow happens to stumble right into you say 'Hey, catch.' toss the suitcase to him - again occupying his hands - and THEN rush him down.
>>
No. 1040390 ID: 5d9787

Let's bet on those superior reflexes. Stay out of the way until he enter the room, proceed to shadow him as closely as you can, and when the opportunity arise take his light and gun.
If he get scare and cooperative you can have him as a hostage, but if he try to fight shot him on the head many times. Killing him is probable more advantageous but if he surrender we can try to make this work.
>>
No. 1040397 ID: a8a85e

>>1040382
Could you rip out a cable and set it up so when he turns the genny back on he gets zapped?
>>
No. 1040406 ID: 8a4559

Aren't these guys supposed to be really robust? A direct assault is going to be exceedingly risky.
Zapping sounds like a good idea if you can make it happen. Otherwise a long-lasting distraction (shorted cable?) may be the best you can do.
>>
No. 1040424 ID: 84c07e
File 166005553771.png - (209.53KB , 800x600 , TQ57.png )
1040424

>Could you rip out a cable and set it up so when he turns the genny back on he gets zapped?
That would probably make a lot of noise and he might catch on to it. I'll try going for a safer approach.

I hide behind one of the doorways and wait for him to pass through without noticing me. Going for the surprise approach seems to be my best option, best not to waste the opportunity.

I see him pass by, apparently he didn't want to take his headset with him because he seems to be without it. I sneak up close behind him so I can employ my famous pick pocket skills. I may be physically heavy handed, but they don't call these mitts 'Lost and found' for nothing.
Sheesh, I didn't even know neumono could come in such fun sizes! I've got like, five or six inches on this guy!... So that's what the top of a person's head looks like.

In one swift motion, I take both the flashlight and gun from the holster, quickly turning off the flashlight and plunging this little alien into my world of darkness. It takes him a little under a full second to realize what just happened, but he doesn't seem to freak out.

>"Mister Olive. I do not believe in your ghost stories of abandoned Summit Mining Company facilities. If this is your idea of a joke, we're going to have a serious problem. I was told you were professional, but this clearly isn't the case. So Laugh it up while you can, because when Mister Crimson hears about this, you're not going to think it's so funny."

I can't help but smile a little. Even in dire situations, I still find joy in being a rascal.

>"And whatever I just stepped in better not leave a stain."
huh? what does he-... oh. Is his foot bleeding? These guys must be really robust if they don't feel pain when the step on nails or whatever. This guy is now in the dark without any light sources, and without a weapon, and he thinks I'm somebody else. Looks like I hold all the cards, and then some.
>>
No. 1040425 ID: b84839

Just put him in a sleeper hold, noise could alert the actual Olive. Preferably while dragging him away from switches that could get the lights on and flip this situation on its head. Dude may be ridiculously tough, but he still has to breathe.
>>
No. 1040426 ID: 5d9787

Are you right next to Olive's corpse?
The situation is very risky, so let's get this over with before something bad happen with you or Bry. Kill the cute asshole, disable or break the equipment and go back to the vent.
>>
No. 1040427 ID: 420248

Take him out quickly, whether with mechanical hands or your new gun. What did he step in, anyway?
>>
No. 1040428 ID: e5709d

Remember to keep your eyes closed while shooting the gun.

Grab him by the neck and shoot him in the back of his head. Keep shooting while you gloat.
"I heard Neumono can survive a shot to the head! Can you survive twenty?"
>>
No. 1040429 ID: 334f2b

I wouldn't worry about shooting him with the gun. It wont probably kill him anyway, so it's an option.
>>
No. 1040430 ID: 547ed9

>>1040424
Steal his glasses. He'll be extra blind!
>>
No. 1040431 ID: 547ed9

>>1040425
Arent they strong? What if he breaks out of the hold?

>>1040427
>>1040428
I vaguely recall from one of the Q&A threads from the neumono that got his head blown off multiple times that they kinda need their heads to breath or something, so using the industrial grip strength of our hands to crush his wind pipe should knock him unconscious. Doing so from behind would ensure we have the advatange of leverage, so the neumono male cant simple turn around. If Coil can use his slight height and weight to his advantage, we could possible force him to the ground as we choke him out. Additional benifit to choking is that he cant yell out for enforcements.

There is also the unfortunate issue of firing the gun which will immediately alert Mr. Olive, so we best choke him out first, and the possibly rip out some cables to tie him up with so we can then regroup with Bry.

Hmmmm. Actually. Maybe you guys are right about shooting him. neumonos are netoriously robust for surviving injuries even ones towards the head, so what we can do is mag dump 8 or so rounds directly to the back of the head. If he suffers enough head injuries theres not much he can do if one of the exiting bullets strikes him eyes?

>>1040424
Pick pocket the neumono for his holster and any spare ammo he has.
>>
No. 1040432 ID: 547ed9

>>1040428
Thats a good point. Thats muzzle flare or something right?
>>
No. 1040437 ID: 9fd5ba

Is the gun loaded, cocked, safety off? Can you quickly tell how many bullets it has?

I'm sorta on the side of team gun, here, assuming shooting this guy isn't going to traumatize Coil. I think this dude's continued existence actively and significantly threatens your own, unfortunately. I recommend shooting the head in several places (trying in part to take out the eyes), the spine and windpipe, and a probable location of the heart. We should probably save some bullets, though, for Mr. Olive and for surprises. Move fast to take advantage of the reflexes thing. Be aware he may not lose consciousness immediately; be prepared to get out of flailing range quickly (maybe even do so before shooting). Don't forget to close your eyes for the muzzle flash, maybe even cover them, though that might negatively affect aim. Expect Mr. Olive soon after, consider hiding.
>>
No. 1040442 ID: a2d88b

Neumono are hard to kill and can hold their breath pretty long. If you use your hands, you'll need more than just choking him, you'll need to at least break his spine (and I'm not even sure that will paralyze him!)

Gunshot to the head is pretty reliable for knocking him out, but will alert Mr Olive, so better act fast after that. You can't rely on him lacking night vision, so find a good hiding place for ambush.
>>
No. 1040443 ID: 15c72a

>>1040424
No, that's Olive's blood, I'm betting. Look up.
You have all the time in the world to cap this guy, so be sure you have a plan to escape afterwards-- the gunshot(s) will alert whoever killed Olive.
>>
No. 1040508 ID: 9a2966

Wait, so he's really bleeding from his leg? You didn't do that. There also wasn't a bunch of nails around when you walked here, was there? Weird.

But you did get one thing verified - Mr. Olive is somewhere in here with you and they can see in the dark, so they're probably a Tobak or someone else with solid nightvision. Taking out the power probably guarantees that Mr. Olive is going to come to investigate what's what soon, so making an awful lot of noise might reveal to him that enemy action's going on.

So far the Neumono thinks they're getting pranked and they're pretty stuck in the dark. See if you can't use him to set up an ambush for Mr. Olive.

Alternatively/additionally - you found someone smaller than you, so it's time to be the ultimate jock. Check if that locker is free and loose, shove him inside and tip the entire thing facedown so he's stuck in a tight claustrophobic space in the dark.
>>
No. 1040511 ID: 7c0da2

Maybe you could lock lure him somewhere and lock him up? This way you don't risk a fight. It's not like you need him dead to sabotage his surveillance equipment. You could even just leave him to stumble in the dark and destroy the equipment while he is away if you are not sure you can lock him up safely
Whatever option you choose, destroy the light sources first.
>>
No. 1040607 ID: 84c07e
File 166026472084.png - (185.02KB , 800x600 , TQ58.png )
1040607

>Steal his glasses. He'll be extra blind!
Yoink!

>"Hey! Give those back, asshole!"

>Is the gun loaded, cocked, safety off? Can you quickly tell how many bullets it has?
It is loaded, the safety is on, and it has about 10 shots in the magazine. The model of this laser pistol is a Top Grade Richter 220 laser target shooting pistol. Top Grade is not the grade of the gun, just the name of the company that makes them - though this is a good, highly modifiable gun. Hardly the kind of thing a mercenary should be using as it doesn't have a particularly lethal calibre, but there's a big surplus of these things out there.
If I'm remembering correctly, these are standard issue for Saxum Overwatch agents.

>Pick pocket for other valuables
I rummage through looking for anything useful like spare ammo, but he comes up almost empty. Just a piece of paper with a few codes written on it.

>Choke
I heard these guys can hold their breath for half an hour, which might just be a myth, but I'm not keen on finding out.

>Shoot him
I have no reservations against killing mercenaries, raiders, pirates and the like - however with this particular case, I have concerns with what to aim for, because these guys have like... no apparent weak spots outside of their hearts and their stomachs, neither of which I'm familiar with the location of. I also don't know if he'll eat all 10 of my shots and still keep standing - Not to mention the fact that there is another guy in here who is armed and might hear me and start barrelling down the hall with a bigger gun.
...Also despite knowing a lot about guns, my aim isn't fantastic. I'd expect to miss a few shots.

>Maybe you could lure him somewhere and lock him up? This way you don't risk a fight.
That doesn't sound so bad, it might even sit with my conscience better. I'll put a pin in it as it seems I've got time to think on it.

>you found someone smaller than you, so it's time to be the ultimate jock. Check if that locker is free and loose, shove him inside and tip the entire thing facedown
I'm so doing this if I decide not to kill him.

>What did he step in
Lesse, let's have a look here... just a little bit of blood. Looks like I stepped in some too but didn't notice. looks like something got dragged. I follow the blood and leave the neumono be for now, he isn't going anywhere.

>"Hey! turn on the lights!"
I keep quiet still, I don't want him trying to tackle me or something.

>Look up.
Nope, no blood up there. Just a rock ceiling, and you can't draw blood from a stone. I've tried.

The bloody trail appears to lead to a thin strip of blood flowing into a drain, the other end leading through a doorway I already walked through to get in here, I look through and-
>>
No. 1040608 ID: 84c07e
File 166026473213.png - (244.71KB , 800x600 , TQ59.png )
1040608

Oh geez. This wasn't here when I came in.

That's a dead guy. Dead Pomi guy. Another off-worlder most likely... Big purple dead guy.

Am I just going to keep bumping into dead guys down here?! This one isn't a rotting corpse, but still. Actually... he was probably kicking just a few moments ago, judging by how much fresh blood is flowing from that nasty gash on his neck. Me and the neumono probably aren't alone in here.

Hold on. I'm picking up a magnetic signature...

Someone else is here - A tobak. Did Bry find a way in? Was he capable of something like this? I doubt it, he isn't really the cutthroat type. Is this dead guy Mister Olive? or is Mister Olive a tobak?

Whatever the case, the tobak is moving closer, I can feel him just around the corner in the same hallway I was just in.
>>
No. 1040609 ID: f373c9

>Mister Olive Dead
Uh... Say, you think it'd be a good idea to inform the Neumono, and maybe team up with him? Considering said Tobak is both likely aware of you, and apparently very capable of killing.

Just let him know "i was gonna stuff you in a locker like a jock, but there's some guy hanging around that killed your friend, and might not discriminate between us." or such :V
>>
No. 1040615 ID: 334f2b

Ignore the neumono, check the dead pony for something useful and skidaddle out of there. You still need a way to find Fletcher. Or you could go and find a way to open this place up and let Dry in, safety in numbers and all.
>>
No. 1040616 ID: 15c72a

>>1040608
Run away from the tobak. Let them kill the neumono, get a visual on who the tobak is. Run further away if it's Lak, but otherwise you could introduce yourself (carefully) and ask for a team-up.
>>
No. 1040618 ID: 899c9f

…Secure the briefcase and just go. This isn’t your problem. Avoid contact, and if the tobak follows you, avoid faster.
>>
No. 1040622 ID: f57349

>>1040425
Neumono can hold their breath for literal hours, so a crushed neck might be a survivable injury. Still seems like a good approach for a silent takedown, though. Maybe grab throat and squeeze with one hand, then a punch to the lower back with the other, to keep that distributed brain as off-balance as possible?
>>
No. 1040639 ID: b01382

>>1040608
Oh fuck Lak is here. Put on your goggles and turn the lights back on. The dog alien is an enemy, but the endmy of your enemy is your friend. Maybe. Fuck maybe Lak will kill the other guy before he tries to kill you.
BRY! We gotta go get outta here! We gotta save him!
>>
No. 1040640 ID: b01382

>>1040607
Oh and tell the neumono that his friend is dead, but we didnt kill him. Someone else did aparently. Should we be worried?
>>
No. 1040642 ID: b01382

>>1040615
Oh shoot this too. Loot the corpse. If the armor fits that'd be helpful too. Is thete a gun on them? Radio? Please for the love of god let there be a PDA we can use to contact our bosses.
>>
No. 1040664 ID: 7c0da2

So, a bit of bad news : you're probably the target. Or, rather, the briefcase probably is the target. Because either he is here after the briefcase, having traced it here, or he is after the neumono and his team, and their goal is to get that briefcase, so either way it's tied to the briefcase.
If you loot the corpse do it quickly, focusing on communication devices. Don't bother with the night vision goggles unless they would allow you to both see in the dark and not have to worry about being blinded. I don't think you have time to get the armor on, unless the other tobak is far away?
You should also alert the neumono, pretend to be an independent looter, with some luck he will distract the other tobak.
>>
No. 1040669 ID: 84c07e
File 166033097107.png - (249.62KB , 800x600 , TQ60.png )
1040669

>Get the neumono to distract the tobak
The thing is that the tobak knows I'm here. if I know he's here, he knows I'm here.

>Loot the corpse.
I quickly run to try find anything useful before the tobak comes within eyeshot of me. He has a big laser rifle, but It's too heavy for me to carry effectively. It also has had its magazine taken out. C'mon there must be a... Aha! He has a radio on him! It even had batteries. I just need to enter a frequency to communicate.

I listen in to the hallway, hearing very feint footsteps and fast beeping. The beeps sound exactly like the ones that came from the device I switched on earlier. Could it be... a tracking device?! Oh no... no no no!

Do I run or do I shoot? Or do I try speaking up and teaming with one of them? What does he want? Should I hand over the case?

I hear a switch get flipped and the beeping stops abruptly - only a few meters short of the corner I've put my back to.

"I know you have a gun. You will not harm me."
That voice... Who is that? He sounds very monotone with a low pitch, at least for a tobak. Does he smoke? or does he eat lit cigarettes? He seems to have some kind of accent, but it's too subtle to tell where it's from.

>"Huh? The hell are you? I don't recognize your voice... Is that Mister Teal?"

Is the tobak talking to me? Or is he talking to the other guy?

"You have two choices. You will either leave this place, or you will choose to stay but not linger. In the latter case, you will put your goggles on. In both cases, you will not let anybody touch that suitcase."
>"Excuse me? The hell are you on about? I don't have my goggles on me, and we don't have the suitcase yet. Who is this?!"
"Whatever action you take, nothing can stop what's coming for this neumono."

He's just gonna let me go? Isn't he after the case too? Who is he and what is his end game?
>>
No. 1040670 ID: a2d88b

Oh crap it's him.
GTFO. As fuck and as out as you can.
>>
No. 1040671 ID: c28082

>>1040669

Well, we're allowed to leave, so ... let's definitely do that. This guy sounds like bad news.
>>
No. 1040680 ID: 6c886f

Lots of special ops stuff, but no flashbangs? Frag grenades (would be useful for the neumono)? Smoke grenades for escape? Little surprise this pomi's dead. Still, may have to loot more of that stuff after we return here.

Plus side, that comms device will be great to eavesdrop, possibly to call up your allies. For now, escape. Save the fights for after you have a tac team at your side.
>>
No. 1040681 ID: 95b081

Well...for whatever reason, it sounds like he wants you to leave this place alive and with the suitcase. So I guess our goals line up at the moment. Also he's scary, so I'm in favor of plan SCRAM.
>>
No. 1040682 ID: 15c72a

>>1040669
Tell him you're just trying to get back home, you'll look at the cameras then leave. This time, make note of where the cameras are, and AVOID THEM FROM NOW ON.

Make no aggressive action. Put your goggles on, put the gun in your pocket, safety on. This tobak is not to be messed with.
>>
No. 1040686 ID: 334f2b

You have what you need, and he doesn't seem to be after you. What's more, he seems to want you to hold on to that suitcase. We can confirm that the newmono was looking for the briefcase, which makes him and his companions your enemies. They are responisble for your planecrash and almost dying.

Leave. Don't say anything and don't let him see you. Just go, meet up with Bry and use the radio to find Fletcher.
>>
No. 1040691 ID: 899c9f

Don't answer and give yourself away to the neumono, and take the nice not-tobak's advice. Put your goggles on, linger if you must if only to check the cameras, and GRAB THE SUITCASE. He probably mentioned the goggles because he's going to turn the lights on again. Either way, leave this room as quickly as possible.
>>
No. 1040694 ID: 1681e9

Not your circus, not your monkeys.

GTFO. Making sure the way between him and the Neumono is clear of anything you-shaped.
>>
No. 1040699 ID: 2de4fd

Look man, it seems like you have a whole hell of a lot of problems right now, and this guy, who don't get me wrong, seems to be one MASSIVE freaking problem, is currently the problem of someone other than you. Put your goggles on, don't try to shoot him, and if someone uses a very bright light source, be ready to take advantage of it. Book it time.
>>
No. 1040715 ID: f3a2ce

Such a shame when a pretty boy dies. Such is life out here. Promptly take his advice and leave. People who talk as if they know you aren't to be fucked with.
>>
No. 1040734 ID: 398700

>>1040669
this guy is CONFIDENT enough to offer mercy. Let's not fuck with that, we have no stake in this.
>>
No. 1040747 ID: ba605b

>>1040669
Run bitch RUN! We're grabbing Bry and getting the hell out of here.
>>
No. 1040891 ID: 84c07e
File 166053441895.png - (177.64KB , 800x600 , TQ61.png )
1040891

>this guy is CONFIDENT enough to offer mercy. Let's not fuck with that, we have no stake in this.
>Not your circus, not your monkeys.
>So I guess our goals line up at the moment. Also he's scary, so I'm in favor of plan SCRAM.
>GTFO. As fuck and as out as you can.

It seems I have made up my mind.

Whoever this guy is, he wants me out of here alive. I don't know if he's really on my side, but it looks like our interests align - at least for the moment. I don't want him to see what I look like, but I don't have much choice, there being only one way out of the room.

I slowly walk out of the room and into the hallway. I put the gun on safety and slip it into my pocket, I equip my goggles and I slowly make my way to leave behind... whatever this situation is.

I... I want to say something... but I don't know what to say. It's probably best if I say nothing at all. I swallow my tongue as he passes by and I do my best not to look over at him. I can tell that he hasn't even looked over at me.

"Good."

His presence is like nothing I've experienced before. Not from an alien, not from a tobak. His appearance... clearly not a fan of color. His eyes are vacant, like the lights are on but nobody's home. He doesn't seem to have any goggles, does he have cybernetic implants? He has a magnetic signature, but besides that, he doesn't seem like any tobak I've ever met.
>>
No. 1040892 ID: 84c07e
File 166053444764.png - (375.04KB , 800x600 , TQ62.png )
1040892

I hear the sound of him setting down his nail shotgun followed by the generator being switched back on. A few moments pass and a bright orange light fills the hallway. I freeze.

>"What the-... You?! How did... how didn't I see you coming on the cameras?! What are you... hey. Wait a sec-"
The tobak pushes the neumono on the ground and restrains him. The tobak aligns a plasma sword up to the alien's midsection.
>"You moron! Goddamn goat freak! We're both working for the board! We could've cut you in!"
The 'board'? that's the second time he's mentioned it. Which board is he talking about? What board would care about what's in a random suitcase? Probably not the one I’m thinking of.
"You misunderstand. My interests and the interests of you mercenaries do not align in the slightest. Accept the position you are in. There would be more dignity in it."
>"MISTER OLIVE, GET OVER HERE!... MISTER OLIVE, ARE YOU HERE!?"
"He is. Maybe not in the sense that you are thinking."
>"You mean he's... oh... no - wait! hey! Don't kill me!"
"Don't give me a reason to. You will have your chance to live. You have information that you will give me. I will now destroy your stomach. Hold still."

The neumono thrashes and screams before the plasma sword cuts into him, surely causing him a lot of pain - which begins to slowly subside as he passes out.

The room falls silent. I realize that I stopped walking away, having been frozen with fear. My hands... My hands are shaking. That's never happened before... I didn't know they could still do that. Looks like a lot of me is shaking actually.

I feel a glare pierce my back as all that remain in the room are me and him.

...

I wait for him to say something, but he doesn't.

...

I hear him drag the neumono away.

...

Once I am sure he is gone, I regain motion and start to sprint down the hall, looking for a fast way back.
>>
No. 1040893 ID: 84c07e
File 166053447873.png - (248.30KB , 800x600 , TQ63.png )
1040893

While moving through the hallways I find a thread of steel cable. I pick it up so that I can use it later to set up a trap that will hopefully get me and Bry access to a motorbike.

Not content with leaving with just a pistol and radio, I return to the room with the monitor and camera setup. Just as I enter the doorway, I see something scurry through the ceiling at the corner of the room. Must be a big lizard or some other cave dwelling animal that found its way in here. Hopefully it's harmless, but it shouldn't be a problem if it tries to attack me now that I have a pistol.

The room itself seems to have plenty of stuff in it. Namely a number of large equipment crates. The monitor setup seems to have something up with it though, did something happen to it while I was gone? Most of the cameras are no longer working and it appears that lots of files have been removed or corrupted.
>>
No. 1040897 ID: 899c9f

Do rin reida have tails? Oh well, the cameras would have been nice but better nobody has it than the neumono has it. Loot crates, check drawers, you know, scav stuff. Don't linger on it though.
>>
No. 1040899 ID: 15c72a

>>1040893
I bet that was the Tourist.
Just say "Gosh I wish I could use these cameras to find my squad, it'd be nice if a hacker just happened to be able to turn them back on."
>>
No. 1040916 ID: a3629a

If it was a wild animal, then maybe there is a full colony so be careful. If it was an alien, then he might be an slippery enemy. Either case, search hastly for useful things and GTFO to search Bry
>>
No. 1040920 ID: a2d88b

>The Board
That's weird. The way he said it, it's not merely some random corpo's board of directors. It sounds more like an independent entity calling itself "the board".
>>
No. 1040924 ID: 9a2966

Be quick, but check drawers, check crates, loot survival-useful stuff primarily. Is there more space in that suitcase? Maybe you can stuff some loot into it, now that your sad lack of coat has deprived you of pockets.

... actually, as you whip it out, could you actually connect up that thing in the suitcase to the computer here to see what it actually is that's making people go to all this trouble and effort? You're in trouble anyway, why not see why? Or, hm, maybe just grab the laptop and some connection cable to do so later, at a more convenient, less 'near someone being tortured' moment.

Other than that, just get the heck outta here quick!
>>
No. 1040926 ID: 4f6268

>Goddamn goat freak!
Huh, belenosian, is that what that implies? Hmmm, that actually does fit, explains the odd shape of the skull spikes, the odd pupils, that Ship of Theseus bit from the previous thread, their history of mad science rivalled only by desperate Salikai organizations...

He appears to not want the suitcase, he would have noticed you had it with the lights active. Or failed to realize it was his objective, but the odds of that are quite low.

So... why did you not grab the nail shotgun he left behind? Far too scared to be a klepto for once?

Oh, and of course, if the cameras are dead, can you still call up your allies? Should that be too difficult from here, leave to round 'em up. Secure this place, looting's a lot easier afterwards.
>>
No. 1040951 ID: 84c07e
File 166059078389.png - (284.86KB , 800x600 , TQ64.png )
1040951

>why did you not grab the nail shotgun he left behind? Far too scared to be a klepto for once?
Stealing from a psychopath is pretty low on my list of lifetime goals.

>Do rin reida have tails?
I think so. I've only ever met a couple rin reida, they usually do odd jobs. You don't see a lot of them around these days because of how close to extinction they are.

Just in case, I say "Gosh I wish I could use these cameras to find my squad, it'd be nice if a hacker just happened to be able to turn them back on."

I wait but nobody replies. I feel a little silly but that feeling never sticks around for too long.

>I bet that was the Tourist.
the tourist is supposedly a tobak, and that didn't look much like a tobak to me.

>That's weird. The way he said it, it's not merely some random corpo's board of directors. It sounds more like an independent entity calling itself "the board".
The board could be something specific like a secret society, or it could be some kind of entity. Is there some big AI out there calling itself the board? that'd be neat.

>Loot crates, check drawers, you know, scav stuff. Don't linger on it though.
I never thought I'd be scavenging like an independent, but here I am, I guess. Most of the crates are empty, looks like they were holding guns, grenades, body armor and stuff like that. These mercenaries must've been using this as some kind of hideout for a while.

I find a small suit of bio armor which probably belonged to that neumono. I picked it up without thinking but thankfully my hands have already been destroyed. I can't think of a use for it, so I leave it be.

I look through the drawers and I find the headset the neumono was using, a bunch of (mostly empty) energy drink cans and a few neumono porn magazines.

>Is there more space in that suitcase? Maybe you can stuff some loot into it
I take out the foam and boxes to leave more object wiggle room. As I take out the numbered box, I notice a message has been scribbled on the back with the same red lettering.
'FIND THEM ALL YOU SONS OF BITCHES!!!' with a '15/21' written at the bottom. There is a crossed out LuneCore Industries logo drawn above the writing. I'm not surprised that somebody out there isn't a fan of LuneCore, I don't think anybody is after the things they've done. I'm glad they are gone.

>actually, as you whip it out, could you actually connect up that thing in the suitcase to the computer here to see what it actually is that's making people go to all this trouble and effort?
You know... I can't see why not. Hopefully Fletcher won't know and chew me out over it.
I find a cable that fits, and I try to have a look inside. Luckily it doesn't have a password or anything like that. A window pops up and shows a bunch of files. I'm not a computer expert, most of my time on the computer goes towards pirating rock music and watching videos on tinkering and bass guitar, so a lot of these files don't make much sense to me. I try to open them, but some message pops up about me not having the right software or some nerdy thing like that.

There is only one file I can open named 'KEYCHAIN15.txt' I open it and a message window opens.

15/21 >10 years. That's how long it's been after LuneCore got kicked offworld. I didn't see the dominion wars coming, but boy am I glad it happened when it did! How is it that you had an illegal CAI controlling everything and STILL LOST?! >OOPS! That was supposed to be a secret! guess the secret's out! >But that's not the secret you were trying so hard to hide, Is it? No. >When the execs saw the writing on the wall towards the end of the dominion wars, they knew what they had to do to keep their secrets buried. They couldn't keep a living soul alive to know what was going on. LuneCore Industries ordered their 90% robotic workforce to kill the living 10%. Robots can keep a secret, can't they? But scientists and engineers? Nope. You had to go off and kill every last one. >Every last one except me. >10 years I've been in hiding outside the 22 line where your sentinels and screen facers couldn't get to me. I lived like a tribal for a decade until I was completely sure your presence was all truly gone. Now that I have access to a computer, I have the chance to let everyone know the truth about what you were doing on Saxum VIII. They'll all know about how you went from a no name mining company to one of the biggest tech goliaths in the universe. >They'll know about the hangar. >Everything is still there. The CAI alone should be reason enough for a rival company to raid the place, but just wait until they find out about your other fun little projects! >They'll know why you killed all those rin reida.

I try read further but the rest is corrupted gibberish. Looks like a lot of the files are affected by some level of corruption.
>>
No. 1040952 ID: a2d88b

Now put it back in the suitcase before someone detects it!
>>
No. 1040955 ID: 15c72a

>>1040951
...okay, Lak's tracker will send him here, to this suitcase. He might not know about yours, so just put everything back where you found it and go. There's no telling if he wants you to know this information or not, so you probably shouldn't be here when he arrives.
>>
No. 1040963 ID: a9af05

>>1040951
That seems like info that you're not supposed to know about. You'd better hope Fletcher never finds out that you read this, otherwise she might actually kill you!
>>
No. 1040964 ID: 9a2966

That sounds big 'n serious. And now you know. And now you don't tell anyone you don't trust you know, because that all seems worrying.

15/21... is that a date? Or, given the 'find them all', it sounds like this is hard drive 15 out of 21. The text itself seems more like the start of a longer spiel. Looks like LuneCore was up to some deeper shit than most knew, though, assuming this is at all true.

... probably is. Why else would anyone go to so much effort for it?
>>
No. 1040976 ID: e6ef13

>I'm not surprised that somebody out there isn't a fan of LuneCore, I don't think anybody is after the things they've done. I'm glad they are gone.
Sounds ominously frightful, especially with that Rin Reida bit of the text file, got details to share?

Either way, unless you'd like to grab body armor, probably best to go.
>>
No. 1040980 ID: ba605b

>>1040951
Don't leave the bio armor behind. Fold it up in your improve backpack and take it with you. The amount of money you can get from selling one of those bad boys is A LOT depending on the percentage. It's probably nothing above a 30%-ter, but that's still good money.

Take the headset and porn mags. You can probably give those to your yellow tonal buddy as a sorry present for being so insufferable. Surely he would appreciate a head set to sell and porn!

I kinda suspect the last survivor might be this Lak fellow or someone he knew. With the amount of infamy he has, and his peculiar magnetism, it could be true.

Anyways loot whatever is left and head on out of here. We gotta regroup with Bry and try to steal ourselves a motor cycle, maybe even see if we can use the head set to contact the rest of the Summit team?
>>
No. 1040982 ID: ba605b

>>1040955
Probably only if we turn the tracker on, so what we can do is find some out of the way place, turn on the tracker, hide it under a rock then run the heck away. later though when we have a motorbike with a sidecar.

>>1040976
IC it would be a good excuse to give to Dowser the suit of bioarmor to start amending relations with people he knows, and indirectly help with his bad rapport with Fletcher if Dowser has anything to say about us.

OOC when we turn back to Dowser's PoV we can give the suit of bioarmor to the Hive Mineral Company to improve our rapport with them even further, and potentially have a Bioarmor wearing buddy with us the next time we got looting through ruins. Dahl did make a point that doing looting and scavenging for a living isn't idea, but that doesn't make it any less fun. Just saying we can keep looting and stuff as a side gig instead of a main one.
>>
No. 1040989 ID: 5c57bb

Lak already knows we have the suitcase. His instructions to us specifically told us not to let anybody else touch it. ...I wonder how long that injunction is intended to last.
>>
No. 1040990 ID: b01382

>>1040951
Is there a usb or something around? Can you copy everything not corrupted on the computer onto there?
Copy those 6 folders on the desktop and any other folder, then get out of there. Dont forget about the porn mags, head set, and grab any energy drink cans if there are any that arent opened yet. If there all opened, then chug down one that has the most juice inside. You might need the caffine for all the shit youre gonna do today.
>>
No. 1040991 ID: 899c9f

No use in speculating on who or what any of this is about yet. It's over a tobak's head for sure.
Bioarmor's expensive and compact, right? You could carry it and use it like a net to stun somebody briefly.
Find the exit, not to let Bry in but to get yourself out. This location is of no further help to us.
>>
No. 1040996 ID: 0c22c7

>>1040991
Please my brother, do not use it to carry things. In Asteroidverse bioarmor can literally shread a person to pieces. More so the higher its grade. Its best if we fold it up and keep it in the suitcase.
>>
No. 1041003 ID: 84554d

> porn (weird)
Clearly we must check it out, there may be secrets hidden in it ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
>>
No. 1041033 ID: 5d03a4

>>1041003
We can check it all out when we get home. COPY PASTE AHOY!
>>
No. 1041040 ID: a9af05

>>1040990
>>1041033
>copy things
We do not have time for this.

Lak is in the building with us and there's no telling when he's going to stop being merciful to us. We need to leave as quickly as possible and hope we can get away from him!
>>
No. 1041070 ID: a3629a

Maybe that white guy is the rin reida and seems to want it to reach to a company. Why not being the one who gives his own company it. (Don't mention having opened it though)
>>
No. 1041078 ID: 84c07e
File 166076646166.png - (317.09KB , 800x600 , TQ65.png )
1041078

>Sounds ominously frightful, got details to share?
About LuneCore Industries? Just a bit. They were the first company to discover and explore Saxum VIII - but that was when they were still called something else and were small potatoes compared to the heavy hitters we see excavating the planet today. They discovered the resource rich environment and the whole ecosystem of life, then proceeded to keep it a secret from the rest of the universe for a good decade or two until their sudden gains became too big to ignore.

That's when all the other companies wanted a piece of the pie and started to pile on. Vulpes, Talion, Armada, Belo-Docker's, Kea-Cola Co, Edevane, Summit to name a few. Somewhere during this time, this growing company changed their name to 'LuneCore Industries' and started doing more than excavating - they started to invent new technology. Teleportation technology to be more specific.
To make a long story short, a wide-scale string of conflicts known as 'The Dominion Wars' goes on for half a decade which eventually resulted in all the companies dogpiling on LuneCore. This all happened when I was a kid, but I remember being told that it was really close.

After having a lot of their infrastructure captured or destroyed, LuneCore did the unthinkable. They left. Just... dropped everything and went offworld. You would think this would destroy them, but it was quite the opposite. Since leaving the planet, they've only gotten bigger as they've leaned more into developing technology.

After the Dominion wars, two big things happened. First was the formation of the Saxum Overwatch - something that'd help prevent overreach and crimes against nature to LuneCore's extent. The second thing was the establishment of the 22 Line. After the war, it was found that 22 percent of the world was influenced by company presence. In the interest of maintaining the overall ecosystem of the planet, a border was made so that nobody could go beyond already discovered area. The only exception is scientific expeditions. If companies want new territory, they need to go deeper.

Despite everything, LuneCore is still a very mysterious company. To this day, we don't know who runs the company, why they killed off all their employees, and biggest of all - we still don't know why they killed so many Rin-Reida.

>That seems like info that you're not supposed to know about
This, my friend, is what I like to call 'above my pay grade'. I better get a raise for turning this in to HQ!

>The text itself seems more like the start of a longer spiel
Seems that way. 15/21 doesn't seem like a date, it probably is drive 15 out of 21. I wonder where the other drives are.

>Take the headset, porn mags and unopened energy drinks
There are a couple unopened cans that shouldn't add much weight. The headset doesn't seem very useful because it needs to be plugged into something. I'll leave it behind. I put my feet up and view the contents of this magazine - Is this safe for work? I should ask my boss. I flip through the pages and... yeah, it's about what I expected. I'm not a fan of neumono ladies but I'm all over the guns. Maybe Dowser might like this, he's totally into big ladies. Hold on - Is that Lukratsa rozu Steelnaut?! No way! It says there's a new action movie with her in it! Duuuude I've gotta let my neighbor know!

>porn (weird)
Let me have a peek.

...

I delete the folder.

>Is there a usb or something around?
Not that I can see. Even if there was one, I don't have the time to extract all the files.
>>
No. 1041079 ID: 84c07e
File 166076649015.png - (229.75KB , 800x600 , TQ66.png )
1041079

After looking around a bit I find an actual backpack. I throw in all my collected junk.

>Chug an opened can
I take a sip and something doesn't taste right. Is this... DECAF? Why would you de-caffeinate an energy drink?!

>Take the bio armor and give it to Dowser
Actually... Yeah. I'm not a scavenger, but he certainly is. He could use an expensive find like this. It might be a good way to get on good terms with him again. I fold it up and put it into the briefcase, which takes up most of its space. Luckily it doesn't weight too much.

I exit the bunker from the vent I entered and meet up with Bry, who to my relief is ok.

>"Coil! Are you ok? Did anything happen in there?"
"A few things of note, yeah. I can explain it on the go. For now, let's decide on where to go from here."
>>
No. 1041080 ID: a2d88b

Well now that we have cables, we can start thinking about purloining bikes. Beware the trike though, it seems protected against this stuff.
>>
No. 1041081 ID: 9a2966

>where go
You've got those company goons crawling over the area, as well as the people with the trackers (who appear to be hunted by that creepy Tobak) and the 'Tourist' around to deal with. You could... hunker and try to ambush them, since they no longer have camera support, but that risks you running into the Sect Talion patrols.

You'll be tracked and remain tracked if you flee, so finding some way to cut towards a place where you can turn in this suitcase without dying would be great. There were indeps in the area, so maybe you can hunt for those guys and see if any can get you the lay of the land better?

Would be funny if you could totally nope out of this whole deal by finding some side tunnel that takes you to relative safety ahead of your pursuers.

>given everything we know now
These aliens wanted to destroy the hard drive and show proof of it, apparently at the behest of "the board". Sounds like 'the board' has something to do with LuneCorp, then. Makes sense if they got kicked offworld that they hired a bunch of offworlders to come here and do a job too, then.

Another weird thing is that the board seems to be fighting against itself, given how this 'Lak' fellow was supposed to be working for them too, only this group considered him the 'greater threat' and someone to shoot on sight.
>>
No. 1041083 ID: 899c9f

Remembering the list from >>1039702, see if you can spot the green glow from the bunker. Otherwise, try and head back to where you saw that bike.
>>
No. 1041093 ID: 15c72a

>>1041079
Well, so long as Lak is carrying that 15/21, his tracker will stick to it and he won't know you have one. It's omnidirectional, after all, so it'll only give a reading for the closest one.

>>1041079
The plan is to kill some drones and steal a jeep, right? Let's do that. The bike probably belongs to the rin-reida, and while you might be able to get to it, they have a head start and no reason to wait for you.
>>
No. 1041116 ID: 36784c

>>1041078
>Maybe Dowser might like this, he's totally into big ladies.
How do you know? Did he tell you or is he really bad at hiding his interests?

>I delete the folder.
Was it really that bad? Describe something you saw and we’ll tell you if it was that bad.

>>1041079
Ask if Bry knows who Lak is? Because you’re pretty sure you just met him and you want to get away as quickly as possible before he changes his mind on letting you leave.
>>
No. 1041130 ID: 7c0da2

Use the radio you took from the dead pomi to (try to) contact Fletcher and her team.
And don't stay near the bunker, once the neumono's team notice they're not hearing from him anymore they might send someone to investigate.
>>
No. 1041136 ID: b01382

>>1041079
Lets find someplace to set up these cables to ambush that drone patrol.
>>
No. 1041227 ID: 907720

>>1041079
Ask Bry for a kiss for goodluck.
>>
No. 1041268 ID: a9d6c2

>>1041130
Go with this.
>>
No. 1041269 ID: a9d6c2

Oh fug, did we forget to contact Summit to get aid?
>>
No. 1041290 ID: 84c07e
File 166088652667.png - (245.24KB , 800x600 , TQ67.png )
1041290

>How do you know Dowser's into big ladies? Did he tell you or is he really bad at hiding his interests?
He'll never admit it, but I can tell by the way he looks at that tall grey chick who is smarter than she lets on.

>These aliens wanted to destroy the hard drive and show proof of it, apparently at the behest of "the board". Sounds like 'the board' has something to do with LuneCore
That seems to make the most sense. They must be using proxies to deny any involvement in the burial of whatever secret it is they want to keep hidden. If the tobak I met in there was this 'Lak' fellow, I'm not sure what he's up to if he has the same goal of destroying the drive. Could be that he is trying to flush out the competition.

>did we forget to contact Summit to get aid?
I did get a radio, but I can't seem to get onto any of our local frequencies... I thought Summit had a relay tower built around here? Maybe there's something jamming my signal. We might need to move somewhere else to pick up some reception.

It's best not to stay in one place knowing that we're being followed by strangers, so it's time to purloin a bike!

>see if you can spot the green glow from the bunker.
Faintly. We walk a bit towards that direction seeing as it's close to where the bike patrols are. After a bit we stumble upon a perfect looking space along the road to lay our trap. If there were any place that was destined to have this trap be set, it'd be here.

I ask Bry to tie the cable around the stalagmite and I'll try tie the other end. Bry already finishes his side before I can even cross the road, who knew he was so good with a rope.

Oh shoot. Looks like it's too short. We might have to go back and get a longer cable.

"Aw dang it! Rye, it's too short. We'll have to go back and get a longer-"
>>
No. 1041292 ID: 84c07e
File 166088658204.png - (312.31KB , 800x600 , TQ68.png )
1041292

"Cable."

Looks like I wasn't the first one to come up with this plan.

Looks like we have an odd couple of scavengers here. The one holding the cable is one of those vertically stunted females that pop up from time to time. I wouldn't make fun of her height too much, I was also born with a quirk I can't change. That being said... the lack of height really makes this lady... um... not the first pick for most guys to put it lightly.

The tobak standing in the back appears to be a screen facer - he must've been what was giving off the green glow. I don't need to look at him through goggles as it appears the light he gives off is turned as low as it can go. Poor guy... at least he seems to have his mind back. Is he a snow tobak? what's he doing up here?

"Hey Wynn, look! There are two guys trying the same thing as us!"
"Y-yeah..."

She is staring at Bry and isn't even hiding it.
>>
No. 1041293 ID: a2d88b

Well, offer to combine resources and labor.
>>
No. 1041295 ID: 899c9f

>screenface
Can you just... explain that one for a moment? Is this a prosthetic to see in high light levels? Why go further than the eyes?

"Oh, are you two acquainted? ...Do you want to be?"
I think you guys could pool your resources for the duration of their scav expedition - beginning with tying your ropes together.
>>
No. 1041297 ID: 15c72a

What the heck is a screen facer?

Anyway, team up. See if you can encourage her and Bry to shack up.
>>
No. 1041298 ID: b53892

>>1041292
Is that a protogen?

>screen facer
>at least he seems to have his mind back.
What do you mean? Is he supposed to be insane or mind controlled or something?
>>
No. 1041300 ID: 2de4fd

Prosthetic face?
>>
No. 1041304 ID: 85c249

Say: "Bry, look! She has your eyelashes!"

Well, we can ask them who they are and what they are doing as we work together.


>>1041298
Sounds like an indentured servant that paid debts with his body parts and spending time as a mindless drone.
>>
No. 1041305 ID: b01382

>>1041292
Bry shes looking at your chest!....i still dont understand what you meant by assets, but she likes it!
Go ahead and tie the ropes together. Shoot the shit. Ask her if she knows Dowser. Shes a scavenger right? Theres a scavangers union where all the scavangers know each other?

Im not seeing the issue of her being vertically handicapped. She seems pretty cute.
>>
No. 1041307 ID: 067372

>>1041305
Well, no. Tobaks have a somewhat different set of sexual dimorphisms than humans, and a correspondingly different set of default preferences. I'm translating the idea to a woman that's bald, or perhaps with a musculature like Schwarzenegger. That being said...given the conversation at
>>1038459
Bry might be interested.
>>
No. 1041322 ID: 9a2966

"Hey Bry, look! There's a girl and a guy trying the same thing as us!"

Glance back to gauge Bry's reaction at this meeting - er, beyond 'Ooh, new people to woo', that is.

>What to do: combine forces! Maybe? Possibly? Uh, if they want to take the risk!
They're independents looks like, so just give them a quick rundown (from crashlanded plane, wanting to get outta here before corp warfare eats you alive) and ask if they're willing to share a bike or a route outta here by combining forces - or well, at least cables. You don't have to combine forces per se. You're not independents exactly, but got nothing against them either. Why, some of your best acquaintances are independents!

Also, people may be hunting down plane crash survivors to kill. So, y'know, maybe they want to not combine forces, after all. But at least cables! Please! You'll beg! You ain't got no pride to save! Except the pride of having totally nailed that fighter ace earlier! Still pretty proud about that!

>Screen facer
What is a screen facer, and why would he not have his mind normally?

>Snow Tobak
What is a snow Tobak and why is it abnormal that he's here?

Uh. Wait, I think I got that one. This isn't where snow Tobaks live - and for there to be snow, they must be from above-ground somewhere? Or from a cave with a considerably more chilly weather pattern.
>>
No. 1041323 ID: 5d9787

You must be the owner of that bike parked nearby. Do you need new parts or do you just like to collect bikes?
We are looking for a ride, not loot. Do you want to work together?

A lot of fun size encounters around here. I'm a bit curious if she is exotic enough for Bry, or not too exotic for Coil. A lot of lines in the sand we are learning about.
Fun times will have to wait until we get back to civilization. This place is full of enemies. At most try to exchange contacts.
>>
No. 1041335 ID: 10adb0

>>1041292
Coil! Try to flirt with her! Tell her she's pretty! SPILL ALL THE SPAGHETTI!
>>
No. 1041337 ID: e5709d

Look at the lovebirds go.
Don't just tell her everything, but explain the situation with LuneCore; tell them you're looking for evidence that they committed genocide of the Rin-Reida because of something that either boosted their intelligence or unearthed lost tech. Then detail your plans to regroup with the squad of highly-trained, heavily equipped mercenaries to take down a mercenary company looking to delete the evidence. In exchange for their service, you can pay them, and even write up a letter of recommendation for your corp.
>>
No. 1041338 ID: b01382

>>1041337
....thats above our paygrade to actually do.
Oh you mean lying! Yeah we can totally do that, but i have my doubts. Coil isnt much of a successful social butterfly. Perhaps it would be better to let Bry make up our excuse? Our uniforms should probably give away the fact we work for summit.
>>
No. 1041339 ID: bbd724

Ask if they are willing to help set up the ambush for those drones?
>>
No. 1041353 ID: 503e97

Establish relationship dominance by saying you got Bry both shirtless and wet in the same action.
>>
No. 1041357 ID: ba605b

>>1041353
Support
>>
No. 1041358 ID: ba605b

>>1041292
Right oh uh. Yeah these guys look cool. Do they wanna hang out afterwards?
>Coil is in desperate need of actual friends besides Buy who likes him
No time like the present to make more friends.
>>
No. 1041359 ID: 84c07e
File 166095477397.png - (284.71KB , 800x600 , TQ69.png )
1041359

>What the heck is a screen facer?
Back when LuneCore controlled Saxum, they were very big on keeping a mostly automated workforce. Since some of Saxum's life is compatible with electronics, Saxum found a way to roboticized some of the wildlife into loyal programmable employees. They created a big robot called a 'recruiter' which went around and... did its thing. This is one of the reasons I work for Summit, we don't make robots that turn people into robots.

Since LuneCore left, most of their robotic workforce has been dismantled by rival companies or destroyed by the wildlife. The only place you can still find active LuneCore machines wandering around is in the ice caves where cold dead machines belong.

>Is he mind controlled or something
Used to be. Ordinarily there would be a LuneCore chip in his head controlling him but it looks like someone was able to remove it. It's too bad the same can't be done with the face, which is screwed on to prevent... everything from falling out.

>What is a snow Tobak and why is it abnormal that he's here?
You usually only see them deep down in the icy region colloquially known as 'the fridge' where only the fluffiest of tobaks can be found. When they come up here the heat is usually too much for them, but I guess it isn't a problem for this guy seeing as he might have some kind of built-in air conditioner.

>scavengers union
I don't think there's anything official, but I know scavengers do tend to go out in groups. There may be some kind of organization, but I doubt she'd know Dowser or Lyvy.

>I’m not seeing the issue of her being vertically handicapped. She seems pretty cute.
Oh, she would be totally cute... on stilts.

>Coil! Try to flirt with her! Tell her she's pretty!
It’s wrong to lie! And she's flat as a board - personality wise!

"I'm guessing you two are the owners of the unattended bike I saw earlier?"
The lady doesn't respond so the screen facer does.
"Nope! If we had a bike already, we wouldn't be trying to steal one!"

"So... How about we tie these ropes together and get ourselves some bikes?" She snaps out of her trance as she shifts her gaze over to me.
"Huh? -Oh. That would be... Wait. Hold on just a minute... Where are your red cloths?"
"Come again?"
"Don't play dumb! Nobody walks around with full corpo clothing and gear like that unless they were with a company."
"I don't see how our employment status is relevant to our current situation!"
"I don't cooperate with corpo scum - even if one of you is cute!" She crosses her arms and pouts.
"Don't you two have some expensive equipment you should be in charge of or something?"
"Oh we do-... did... but we're in a bit of a situation. A stranded situation to be exact."
"I don't care about your situation! Rye and I are in our own situation looking for a friend. I have no reason to care about your situation unless you make it worth my while."
"Wynn, are any of them carrying computers?"
"Doesn't look like it. They work for Summit, which doesn't make computers."
"Oh - good! Computers creep me out." I never thought I'd hear that come from a robotic voice.

I bring Bry aside to speak to him quietly.
"Bry she’s looking at your chest!....i still don’t understand what you meant by assets, but she likes it!"
"Oh? Is it too distracting? I can try buttoning up one of the buttons."
"You got a crush on everything, right? How do you feel about her?
"I am attracted to everyone here. Even the robot. especially the robot."
"Ok. Right. Just making sure. Think you can try charm her into cooperation?"
"I'd be delighted to - just say the word."
>>
No. 1041361 ID: fbbdfb

"the word"
>>
No. 1041362 ID: 1134fe

>>1041361
"the word"
>>
No. 1041365 ID: 3cb68d

"the word"
Execute charm tactic No(vember) Uniform Delta Echo. Bry's outfit for their full cooperation, totally worth her while. All assets laid bare! No corpo clothing, no company! So she and her friend would have to help. You didn't have any babes to show off for earlier but here Bry has all the babes because everyone is the babes. This is perfectly sound logic.
>>
No. 1041366 ID: d7e611

>>1041359
Make it so
>>
No. 1041367 ID: 15c72a

>>1041359
Why not both?
>>
No. 1041368 ID: 8483cf

The word
>>
No. 1041369 ID: ba605b

>>1041359
"The Word"
But serious buddy, could you work your sexy magic on her? I work mines on the snow Tobak.
Approach Snow Tobak.
Offer the porn mag your got in exchange for help.
>>
No. 1041370 ID: e5709d

"The bird."

Break into a corporate jingle dance number.
>>
No. 1041371 ID: 899c9f

What word? We didn’t agree on a codeword for this!
>>
No. 1041373 ID: a2d88b

Play good corpo-rat, bad corpo-rat. Remind her that unless she cooperates, no one is getting a bike today. You may be corpo, but you're not Talion, so bloody robbery against them shouldn't be a problem for anyone here!
>>
No. 1041374 ID: 10adb0

>>1041359
>being this shallow
So you dont like how shes short, but you cry over the fact you have weird eyes. I mean beggers cant be choosers dude. Theres like more males than female, so can you really be picky about potential dates?
>>
No. 1041376 ID: 244451

I'm not sure it will work, but I am certainly sure I want to see it. The WORD!
>>
No. 1041377 ID: 422cea

>>1041359
How do they even eat with that thing? How did the corp even get away with a robot that mutilated the sapients of the planet?
>>
No. 1041386 ID: 5d9787

Go for it my dude! If there is anything I can do to help just tell me. If you need jokes I got a list of pickup lines from the internet I was gonna show you before we crashed.

>>1041374
Sure, but currently we got bigger problems than Coil's romantic prospects.
It's a moot point either way since she declared that only one of you is cute. So instead of finding ways of feeling jealousy just be happy for a friend who found a compatible match.
If the situation devolve into an orgy we can get back into convincing Coil to participate.
>>
No. 1041388 ID: a2d88b

You know, once you're finally home and debrief, you should suggest bring up what's you've learned from the mercenaries to Summit's PR department.

Let them spread the word that this mysterious "The Board" wants evidence compromising to LuneCore destroyed, suggesting strong ties to them, and that their mercenaries callously dispose of POWs and bribees. That should make The Board, and anyone working for them, top of everyone's kill-on-sight shitlist.
>>
No. 1041389 ID: 204754

>>1041377
Well, they did fail to get away with it, what with every other corp teaming up. Which actually sorta reflects well on the other corps, intentionally or not, as no single corp would have seen a dollar fighting Lunecorp. Wars are high deficit, yet they had the will to work together, as well as to see it through, while none decided to play ball with Lunecorp.
Huh, sorta odd the Rin Reida have issues with the ones that effectively saved their asses from Lunecorp, but only sorta, as it's probably easy to lump 'em together as one.

>>1041373
Go with this.

Should other options be exhausted, well...
Worst case scenario, you *are* better armed than them, just saying...
>>
No. 1041398 ID: 708905

>>1041389
Pretty sure the ganging up was more motivated by potential future profits to be gained by grabbing their territory/assets then any kind of altruism towards their victims
>>
No. 1041414 ID: 2bc578

>>1041398
>intentionally or not
Guessing you missed that bit there?

With that said, they're no heroes, but they've proved they are without a doubt the lesser evil.
Getting off topic, so moving to questdis.
>>/questdis/137945
>>
No. 1041439 ID: 15a025

You might not be interested in them, but it seems Bry is. Let him hack a crack at getting some help from them.
>>
No. 1041454 ID: 19ba78

>>1041359
So some negotiations are in order. We work together and we make it back home, we'll offer up some free/discounted repair services for whatever she wants, within reason. Guns, armor, a car, a PDA. Coil could probably do that. Not so much an entire ship or anything crazy like that.
Offer the lady up you remaining snack bar you didnt eat. If there's one thing Tobaks universlly love, its good food.
>>
No. 1041526 ID: b01382

>>1041359
Wait. I got the perfect idea. Coil should spill his spaghetti so hard that these scavengers will pity him. Go ahead and tell them that you have no friends besides Bry, your boss intentionally cut off one of your hands, you're very depressed, and other baggage.
>>
No. 1041588 ID: 84c07e
File 166123076127.png - (297.01KB , 800x600 , TQ70.png )
1041588

>Offer the lady up on your remaining snack bar you didn’t eat. If there's one thing Tobaks universally love its good food.
Oh hey I almost forgot about that... If worse comes to worst, she can have the half-eaten one.

>Make them pity you by telling them you have no friends
N-no way! I don't want people knowi- thinking that I'm a loser!

"The word."
"Say no more~"

He approaches her and strikes a pose.
"Hello darling~ It's no wonder the caves are all grey and dark - all the color is in your eyes~"
"H-huh? Y-you're talking to... m-me?"
"Who else? My name is Bryto, but those that get to know me can call me Bry~"
"M-my height doesn't bother you? [small]Or my narrow frame? [small]"
"You've got plenty of curves darling, but your smile is my favorite~"
"HUUUHHH?!?"

She's blushing like crazy, Bry's totally killing it!
>>
No. 1041589 ID: 84c07e
File 166123078156.png - (258.77KB , 800x600 , TQ71.png )
1041589

She walks over and makes physical contact with Bry, I wasn't expecting that - and neither was Bry going by how he reacts.
"I've been waiting for a true and honest guy like you to come along. A guy who can get past appearances and go right to the heart. I sense a great emotional connection between us, hun."
"Y-yeah, I-"
"My name is Wynn, but we can skip past all the introductions and right to the date. You know what? Let's skip the date and get a room so we can get right to the fun part- No!- we can do it right here- No! We'll move in with eachother! Scratch that! Let's just get right to getting married!"
""W-wait- Slow down! I-""
She pushes him down onto the soft grass and lays on top of him, talking about all the things she wants to do to him... If I knew she was this desperate maybe I would've asked first...

This lady started off all nervous but shifted completely to leading the conversation in under a minute, how does that even happen? I can see Bry starting to become a little nervous. I believe in you buddy!
>>
No. 1041590 ID: 84c07e
File 166123081052.png - (303.50KB , 800x600 , TQ72.png )
1041590

While the lovebirds are distracted, I go to tie the cords together
"Let me help you with that!"
"Oh, thanks. You'll help me even if I'm a corpo?"
"That's just Wynn's thinking! I don't mind you guys that much. We have a friend who used to work for Armada doing stuff with electronics, he found me and helped me get my mind back - we're going to steal a bike so we can look for him!"
"What happened to him?"
"He went missing. Our group has been putting wanted posters all around, but he hasn't come up, so we're looking for him ourselves! "
We tie the two lines together, it should be at the right height to get a few drones off the driver seats.

>How do they even eat with that thing?
"Hey, I was wondering..."
"How I eat, drink and breathe?"
"Yes, actually."
"I get that question all the time! It all has to do with these pipes sticking out of my back."
"Oh."
"I'll spare you the details, It's a little gross!"
"So... you can't take that screen off at all? What about your face underneath?"
"There isn't a face underneath! Not anymore at least. I can feel the wires going through where my eyes and tongue used to be."
"Isn't that..."
"Painful? Nope. Uncomfortable? Yeppers! It's no biggie, I can't feel it much anymore."
"How are you able to see me?"
"I have a few handy dandy cameras built into my face. At least I don't have to blink anymore!"
"You seem to have a positive attitude, despite everything."
"It's good to be alive! Especially knowing that I get to share this beautiful universe with so many friends! "
"Yeah."


>How did the corp even get away with a robot that mutilated the sapients of the planet?
LuneCore was the only company that could get away with just about anything. They covered up most of what they did and downplayed the rest.

>Other companies teaming to take down LuneCore reflects well on them, intentionally or not.
That has always been an interesting thing to think about. It may not have been complete altruism on their part but think about what would've happened if they let LuneCore stay, or if nobody came here to compete with them in the first place. In the eyes of tobaks everywhere, many of the companies came together to rescue them from an evil mega Corp.
This single outcome of the dominion wars is the reason why tobaks have such loyalty to their companies - some tobaks even willing to die for their them.
>>
No. 1041591 ID: 84c07e
File 166123083735.png - (260.03KB , 800x600 , TQ73.png )
1041591

>No time like the present to make more friends.
Having friends other than Bry would be nice, maybe once I deliver this case back to Summit, I can offer a robotic hand or two towards helping these guys find their missing friend.

"Are you ok?! Speak to me!" I look over and see Bry laying flat on the ground, unresponsive.
"Hey, what'd you do to my best friend?"
"I-I don't know! I was talking about all the stuff we were gonna do together and... I think I came on too strong!"
I was hoping he wouldn't choke... This always happens. Bry always starts off strong but as soon as the ladies take charge, he totally spaces out!
"Bry, speak to me!"
"I should buy a car. A project car to work on. Yeah. Something old. Fix it up."
"C'mon man, we don't have time for this!"
"How is my mother is doing? I should pay her a visit some time. She bakes the best cookies."
"You're not making any sense!"
"It's been a while since I've had a root beer. Too much sugar. Good to have one every once in a while. In moderation."

This always happens when someone tries to put him in a submissive position... He just... disassociates. It's like some kind of defense mechanism, like he is physically and mentally incapable of not being the dominant one.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I screwed up, ok?! F-fine, we'll help you! Just fix him - please!"
"Calm down, He'll be fine. in ten minutes or so he'll be back to his regular self."
>>
No. 1041595 ID: 8483cf

Bonk Wynn on the head with a stalagmite and remind her that flirting isn't a license to skip dating.

Do not allow her to attempt CPR
>>
No. 1041597 ID: 15c72a

>>1041591
May as well tell her about Bry's problem. If she's serious about dating him then she has to know. And also that yeah Bry is attracted to everybody, he wasn't lying or anything.
>>
No. 1041603 ID: 19975a

Eesh. This sounds like some form of trauma come back to bite; I hope he's ok.

Also I guess yeah, tell her it's best if you let Bry lead?

Also, wait
>getting married
I thought marriage really wasn't a Tobak thing?
>>
No. 1041605 ID: f89136

Well mission accomplished regardless. Now all you guys have to do is wait for the patrols to come by. Be sure to get ready for a fight, as I doubt they'll just let you guys take them.

>>1041603
>I thought marriage really wasn't a Tobak thing?
Maybe shes hung out with aliens or something? She seems a kind of person that's had a fairly interesting life. Like Bry. But different.
>>
No. 1041607 ID: 8a0be2

>>1041591
So uh. If he date doesnt go well with Bry, ask her if she'd like to hang out some time later.
>>
No. 1041613 ID: 8a236d

I wonder, why replace a tobak face with a screen at all? And why not replace parts of their brains, instead of using a chip?


Hmm, maybe if we or Wynn tell Bry that he is the boss and he can do whatever he wants he will come back to his senses.
>>
No. 1041618 ID: 5d9787

It's ok Bry, you are the guy, no one is going to force you into a commitment you are not prepare to make. Come back to me buddy!

I hope your Armada friend didn't disappeared here, this place is is a hot mess. Beside a bunch of corporations paroling, there are LuneCore's mercenaries, rin reida spies, two professional tobak assassins (don't mess with either of them) and a predator. Even our guys might be a dangerous encounter for independents considering how on edge they must be, same goes for any survivors in the Belo-Docker's lighthouses.
Is there a specific place you are planing to look? If you just plan to ride around here until something comes up I strongly advise that you don't.
We can ask for information once we get to a Summit base. Even if you have something against the companies on principle you should seek help from the people who have being surveying the area, that being mostly us and the Belo-Dockers.
>>
No. 1041620 ID: 7878f6

Ok, task failed successfully!
>>
No. 1041628 ID: 9a2966

Pat Bry gently on the head and tell Wynn it's fine. Say you admire her take-charge attitude, but Bry is Bry. He's gotta be the one to take the romantic lead, anything else puts him off his game. Sadly he also doesn't have it in him to interrupt a pretty lady to say so! Quite a lot would be different if he did, you imagine.

Maybe next time she come on less strong? Wait... what was that about marriage, by the way? Was she raised by offworlders or is she a big romantic movie fan or something?

As you chatter, gently drag Bry out of sight and get Wynn to help or follow. You need to get out of sight for the ambush!
>>
No. 1042034 ID: 15a025

Hopefully Bry will be okay, sounds like he's been through some rough situations.

Anyway to help him ease back in? Maybe get some small talk going?
>>
No. 1042048 ID: b01382

>>1041591
Ask the scavangers if they got any weapons in case we get into a fight. Does Bry know how to use the gun we got?
>>
No. 1042068 ID: d12415

>>1042048
Bry was a pilot in a military aircraft. He almost definitely knows how to use a gun. The fundamentals are the same for most firearms, regardless of whether they are combustion, magnet, energy, or whatever else it may be. He should be able to figure it out. Just make sure everyone present knows there is a laser in play and to put their goggles on.
>>
No. 1042069 ID: d12415

>>1041591
>root beer
Suggest a sarsaparilla. Similar taste, and often not as sweet.
>>
No. 1042165 ID: b01382

>>1042069
+1 this
>>
No. 1042187 ID: 42770e

>>1042069
Agreed. Also, for the love of all that is good, also make sure it's one of the types that does NOT list Wintergreen as an ingredient! Notes of honey or vanilla are ideal.
>>
No. 1042598 ID: 84c07e
File 166212745985.png - (378.74KB , 800x600 , TQ74.png )
1042598

>Suggest a sarsaparilla. Similar taste, and often not as sweet.
Now I'm getting thirsty, and all I have are these gross energy drinks.

>May as well tell her about Bry's problem
"Listen, uh, Wynn... If you're serious about getting with Bry and all... you should know that he can't really be put in a position that is... well - I'll put in bluntly... submissive. He' can dish it out, but he can't take it!"
>"O-oh... Can we fix him?"
I put his pipe in his mouth and he happily puffs away. "Give him time. Once he's back, I'm sure he'll give you advice. He likes you, just need to let him lead is all. I admire your take-charge attitude, but Bry is Bry."
>"Alright... Thanks."

>Some form of trauma.
I don't think it's like that. I'd compare it to a wild animal getting dropped in the middle of a space station - not sure what to do or where to go. It's unexplored territory for him - he doesn't know what to do when someone else is doing the flirting.

>I thought marriage really wasn't a Tobak thing?
It wasn't, but tobaks like to adopt certain cultural behaviours we see in human movies like the idea of committed relationships and such. Companies even host/sponsor wedding ceremonies to use as morale boosters, sorta like the baseball teams and company pin up calendars.

>Was she raised by off-worlders or is she a big romantic movie fan or something?
I'd hate to be judgemental but... It is one hundred percent the latter.

"Do you guys have any weapon in case there's a fight?"
>"Rye is holding onto a nail gun, we should be fine."

>Does Bry know how to use the gun we got?
He should be able to seeing as he is the most capable guy I know. But I know he won't use it against someone, he is heavily against violence and harming others. He's a lover, not a fighter.

We all huddle together behind a rock and wait for a patrol to come by, occasionally making small talk. We hear the sound of the bikes nearby and the cloud of dust they throw up not far from us. We wait to see if we tied our cables at the right height.
>>
No. 1042599 ID: 84c07e
File 166212747769.png - (283.13KB , 800x600 , TQ75.png )
1042599

The cable connects right underneath the heads of the riders, and I hear the sounds of the bikes beginning to fall and tumble after the riders we taken off their seats. I don't think any died because of how well their necks are cushioned with fluff. All the passengers fall off onto the grass while the sidecar bike smashes and rolls, becoming too damaged to be very desirable. The two-seated bike slows down and stops automatically, it must've had some kinda deadman's switch mechanism to automatically stop itself. The sidecar looks like cheap corpo junk, but the longer bike looks like it was designed by the Vulpes Motor Company, who make the best vehicles you can get manufactured on-world. I'd be able to pick up chicks with a ride like that no problem.
>>
No. 1042600 ID: 84c07e
File 166212749739.png - (377.49KB , 800x600 , TQ76.png )
1042600

We run over to procure our new bikes. I go to grab the fast and cool bike, but it looks like Wynn had the same idea.
>"I call dibs on this one!"
"No fair! Me and Bry need this more than you do!"
>"We're looking for our friend, I think we're more in need!"
"We're being followed! We need to move as quick as we can!"
"Why don't we put it up to a vote!"
>"No!"
"No!"

The sect continue to flop around uselessly around us, sniffing the air - I think they smell my chocolate bar. They aren't sentient and are even less so when far away from their queen. I'm willing to bet none have any valuable personal possessions or even weapons, so it isn't worth looking. Since they are a hivemind their queen knows what we just did here, it isn't a good idea to stick around.

>Is there a specific place you are planning to look? If you just plan to ride around here until something comes up, I strongly advise that you don't.
My plan is to either ride around until I get a radio signal, or to go towards the summit base/Fletcher's group - which seem to be in opposite directions.
>>
No. 1042605 ID: b79003

If the smashed bike's wheels are still circular, you can use the cable to pull it with the other bike. We might be teaming up for a little while longer.
>>
No. 1042608 ID: d12415

>>1042598
So the pilot is a fucking pacifist.
...sounds familiar.

>>1042600
Since sect use pheromones to communicate, it will probably be a little bit till these guys get help, but once they do, they will probably show up in force (assuming they are like ants, at least).

--

You know what, just resign yourself to not getting the bike and lets just try to build rapport. Do the vote, knowing that you will lose once they both vote for their own cause and with Bry being unable to vote. Then just keep moving irregularly on foot.
>>
No. 1042612 ID: 2598f9

Let her and Bry argue over the bike to re-establish his dominant streak.
Pick those sect up and dust them off before leaving. It’s nothing personal, just bzzz-ness!
>>
No. 1042614 ID: f57349

If all contributors to the ambush have equal claim to the nicer bike, the efficient, mutually-satisfactory solution might be a sort of auction. What would each of you be willing to pay to buy out someone else's theoretical bike share, or willingly accept in exchange for giving up your own?
>>
No. 1042629 ID: b01382

>>1042605
It's dead weight. lets not.

>>1042600
We can trade them the nice pistol we got. It's got more punching power than their nailgun, who still even uses those? Anyways the gun will punch through more armor than the nails, and neither us or Bry can use it effectively. In exchange we get the bike.
>>
No. 1042634 ID: 5d9787

Our presence would contribute very little for Fletcher's survival chances, so we better go straight to the base.
Wynn and Rye could come with us. Once we reach base we can check with surveillance for signs of their friend and they can keep both bikes, otherwise they will have fit three people in a vehicle made to transport two on the return trip.
>>
No. 1042658 ID: ba605b

>>1042600
Use your superior slight of hand skills to steal any weapons, money, and hats the givers have.
take all your stolen hats and stack them together, thus showing your superiority to lesser hat plebs. Plus you lost your pilots hat in the water so you need a replacement.
Damn. Those bug people are adorable.

>>1042634
+1 this offer. If they help us, we could use what clout we have to ask our superiors to find your buddy.
>>
No. 1042667 ID: d12415

>>1042612
No, don't touch them, or you will get covered in their pheremones and then they will be able to find you.

Come to think of it, the same kind of goes for the bikes...
well, suppose we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
>>
No. 1042671 ID: 515982

>>1042667
Doesn't make a difference then, does it? Plus, we know of a river where we can wash ourselves off.

I know we're supposed to keep the briefcase safe from the traitor, but we can't abandon Fletcher. Besides, maybe she will have a way to communicate with base, or at least a gun with more ammo.
>>
No. 1042689 ID: 15c72a

>>1042600
Do rock-paper-scissors for it.

Don't bother with the sect.
>>
No. 1042696 ID: 9a2966

Going together seems like it might work if going together will take you in a direction that is useful to you - you'd just be limited to going at the speed of the slowest bike, but with the option to escape with the fastest in case of trouble.

But you are likely bringing these people into your troubles if you do. Then again, this entire area is trouble at the moment, so they might not avoid that anyway - do mention again that being around here is bad at the moment, maybe?

Or you can do the trade thing to determine who gets the fast bike, but you ain't got much you can give up - I'd say the chocbar or the bio armor are acceptable losses here. You can't trade the suitcase, after all.

Speaking of that chocolate bar, you could also deposit it on ashtray Sect's head. Maybe the Queen will be slightly less mad about your vehicular theft if you leave it as a bribe/peace offering. You'd be surprised the kind of trouble a bar of chocolate can get you out of!
>>
No. 1042701 ID: d16850

>>1042696
We are not giving away the bio-armor. Thats for Dowser. What we can give however is the plasma gun and the gun gun. Those would fetch a nice price, and they would still get to keep the other bike. Its a win win for everyone.
>>
No. 1042740 ID: 244451

"Help us getting the other bike operative an you can have this one. But if the other bike is broken you have to tow us" A discusion will take too much time and she seems to headstrong to concede. Get in a good enought situation leaving the big price appart. Anyway you don't want to keep a good stolen vehicle of another company but they might want to run the risk.
>>
No. 1042754 ID: d16850

>>1042740
I think you misread something. There are three bikes. 1 is totalled, 1 is a normal bike with a sidecar, and the other is a long two seater fast one. We want the fast one.
>>
No. 1042755 ID: d16850

>>1042754
Not to mention that wasting time to stick around to try and repair it would mean getting ambushed by these bug people as we diddle around with what little time we have.

>>1042696
The bio armor will kill either the short stack of the screen facer if they touch it. Bio armor tends to do that. Also thats our chocolate, they cant have it.

>>1042671
Trying to find Fletcher sounds like a plan

>>1042634
More likely it would be Fletcher who would increase our odds of survival. She is the one thats actually trained to fight, not us. Then again there would be the ossue of transportation.

>>1042600
Actually i gotta ask, but does anyone know how to ride a bike? Does the lady and her friend know how to ride it?
Did any of the sects have guns on them? Holders? Anything stored in the crashed bike? More guns is always useful for barter or fighting.
>>
No. 1042790 ID: 8389c4

Fact 1, their lives are not at stake here.
Fact 2, she would prefer Bry alive.
Fact 3, speed maximizes odds of outpacing pursuers.

So for Bry's sake, she should take the slow bike.
>>
No. 1042805 ID: 15a025

If you love Bry, you're going to let him grab the faster ride so we can live to see another day.
>>
No. 1042877 ID: ba605b

>>1042600
If there's one shorty there's always another. Ask the short lady Tobak if she has a sister or a cute friend she could hook us up with.
>>
No. 1043005 ID: 84c07e
File 166240785180.png - (304.09KB , 800x600 , TQ77.png )
1043005

The sidecar bike still works - I'd just call it undesirable. It's slow and hard to control, no way am I driving off ramps and doing stunts with that thing.

>Team up with scavengers
It seems like our objectives are very different, it's best we go our separate ways. I'm convinced they have little interest in helping us and I don't want to drag these guys into our potentially dangerous situation. I'll get their contact information in case we find who they are looking for.

>We can trade them the nice pistol we got. It's got more punching power than their nailgun, who still even uses those?
Almost all tobaks use nail guns because they don't produce light. They lack punching power compared to lasers, but they are still strong enough to go through brick and concrete. I'll try offer the guns for a trade

>Trade the bio armor.
I heard that stuff is valuable! Something to do with limited supply. There's also the fact that I don't think anyone besides me can touch it without it trying to fuse to their hands to do all sorts of damage. Besides, the armor will be a gift to Dowser that he can sell and brag about to all his scavenger friends.

>Do rock-paper-scissors for it.
I offer but Wynn doesn't trust my metal hands to play fair. Besides, tobaks always just end up choosing rock every time because they think it's the strongest.

>If there's one shorty there's always another. Ask the short lady Tobak if she has a sister or a cute friend she could hook us up with
"Hey Wynn, do you have a sister or a friend you could hook me up with?"
She blushes, but I think it's the embarrassed kind rather than the flustered kind.
"H-hey! I have tall sisters and friends, but they - like myself - prefer GENTLEMEN with MANNERS that LOOK CUTE IN SUITS like your friend Bry here!"
I... guess she has a point?

"How about this - I can offer you one of our guns. I'll even throw in a chocolate bar to seal the deal."
>"Those laser guns? How would I even fire it without blinding myself?"
"You uh... close your eyes before you fire? Look, you can just sell them."
>"No thanks. The pistol is far too small, and the shotgun looks shabby Neither look like they would fetch a high price."
"What about money? How much would it take?"
>"Are we talking zeny, BARS or company credit?"
"...Company credit."
>"Keep your funny money."
We try to haggle more but it seems she doesn't want to compromise. She even tries to offer me stuff, but I don't have any use for what she has.

>Speaking of that chocolate bar, you could also deposit it on ashtray Sect's head. Maybe the Queen will be slightly less mad about your vehicular theft if you leave it as a bribe/peace offering. You'd be surprised the kind of trouble a bar of chocolate can get you out of!
I'm a strong believer in equivalent exchange, so this half-eaten chocolate bar should make us even for the bikes we borrowed. I put it into the drone's ceramic crown and take a step back.

The drone looks puzzled. it sniffs the air a bunch.
>>
No. 1043006 ID: 84c07e
File 166240786447.png - (295.24KB , 800x600 , TQ78.png )
1043006

It slowly reaches up for the chocolate bar and brings it down to its face. It sniffs it more and tries to inspect it curiously.

After sniffing it some more it brings it towards its mouth. It takes a bite and chews slowly, gradually speeding up. It swallows and takes another bite, starting to smile a bit. It suddenly freezes and its expression changes to complete confusion. The drones that are sitting behind it suddenly pivot towards it with an angry gaze. Did it do something wrong?

The surrounding drones begin to stand up and growl at the ashtray sect as though they are getting ready to tear it apart. It looks like it tries to say something but realizes it doesn't have a speaker collar.

>Pheromones
The bikes are likely covered, not much we can do about it. We might be followed, but it isn't like we aren't already being followed.

>Did any of the sects have guns on them? Holders? Anything stored in the crashed bike?
The sects don't seem to have anything besides the clothes on their backs. The cars themselves don't seem to have any weapons, but I do find a container of some weird honey looking stuff in the sidecar. I bet it tastes good.

>Our presence would contribute very little for Fletcher's survival chances, so we better go straight to the base.
I get that feeling as well, we’re basically a danger magnet with all the people who might be following us. I should decide whether to go to her or not when we get into radio contact, and I understand more about her situation.
>>
No. 1043008 ID: 515982

You certainly are a danger magnet for others. No time to argue, grab the sect and pile onto the sidecar bike!
>>
No. 1043009 ID: 894419

>>1043006
They are going to eat ashtray sect! You just awakened his free will with chocolate! Defend him immediately!
>>
No. 1043011 ID: f3a2ce

Oh noes. He experienced an experience and fell loose of the collective consciousness. I don't know how much we really care but he's probably about to be brutally murdered or at least maimed. Maybe give him a hand if he looks to you for support? It is kind of accidentally our fault.
>>
No. 1043015 ID: a758c7

Give the other ones chocolate too
>>
No. 1043016 ID: e5709d

Remember, the drones are designed to be so obediently moronic that they won't know how to report you.

Grab the rogue and skedaddle!
>>
No. 1043017 ID: 5d9787

How about this: whoever take the sapiente drone get the faster bike. I'm up for it. Any objection? No? So we are leaving before the bees get even angrier, nicetomeetyouandgoodbye!
>>
No. 1043023 ID: 233458

Welp. Seems delicious food is a superweapon vs sect hives.
Hurry up and give the rest of the bar to the other two, THE GLORIOUS SECT LIBERATION WAR STARTS HERE!

SOON, THE QUEENS WILL NO LONGER ENSLAVE THE FREE WILL OF THE SECT, BUT ALL SHALL BE EQUAL! FROM NOW ON, EVERY SECT WILL HAVE VALUE! LEADERS WILL BE ELECTED, RATHER THAN BE BORN TO LEAD! EVERY SECT, QUEEN, ROGUE, OR OTHERWISE, WILL HAVE A VALUED ROLE!

Seriously though, you could use a buddy besides Bry, so who better than a person whose life you saved as well as gave free will? Quest needs more sect, they are best saxum race
>>
No. 1043030 ID: a2d88b

Dude you got him rogue! Now the queen will be even more pissed off, but it's time to grab him and skedaddle.

>>1043017
There's an obvious problem with this: Only one of the bike holds three, and it's not the fast one.

Oh, and his name is now Ashley.
>>
No. 1043032 ID: 90c451

Alright, how about this? Whoever takes the faster bike also has to take this sect we accidentally just gave free will. Seems a decent tradeoff, the one with the faster bike will end up being the one with the most heat on them.
>>
No. 1043042 ID: 15c72a

>>1043006
Shit. Ashtray went rogue, grab him and get him away from the others. You caused it, he's your responsibility now.

Also you have three party members which means you have to take the three-seater.
>>
No. 1043043 ID: 2de4fd

FUCK FUCK FUCK GET THE CHOCOLATE SECT OUT OF HERE
>>
No. 1043045 ID: 2ccf79

Grab a threeseater, your new rogue secty bud and go. Aside from the fact he’s got no reason to align with his Queen any longer, he might actually know something about what’s going on and where to head to avoid trouble - at least his kind of trouble. Try to communicate the gist of this to him. Can Bry drive?
>>
No. 1043051 ID: 00e87a

Take sidecar bike and the Sect.

>>1043030
Seconding naming him Ashley
>>
No. 1043054 ID: ba605b

>>1043006
Fine fine, they can keep the fast bike, but we want some money and your gun. Tough luck getting a date our of Bry if we're both dead, and tougher luck finding a guy like him who's into you.

>all the sects want to kill the chocolate one
Well that's no good. Ask our Tobak friends to help our new sect friend here out. Coil and Bry can't fight, so that leaves the lady and the screen facer.
>>
No. 1043056 ID: 63a491

OH SHIT, I THINK IT'S ABOUT TO GO ROGUE! GET IT OUT OF THERE!
>>
No. 1043077 ID: b01382

>>1043006
>All the passengers fall off onto the grass while the sidecar bike smashes and rolls, becoming too damaged to be very desirable.
>The sidecar bike still works - I'd just call it undesirable. It's slow and hard to control, no way am I driving off ramps and doing stunts with that thing.
Uh huh. Okay so I can see some things happening. Either we take Bry and the hive bug person with us in the sidecar bike- which is apparently still functional, or we let Wynn and her friend take Bry with them...which is a no go and technically kidnapping. They're not going to come with us all back to base since they don't like corpos, so I think what we can do here is trade: they help kill those hostile sects with their nailgun, maybe give us some cash, a spare nailgun, or whatever pocket lint they have, and they keep the fast two seater bike.
>>
No. 1043082 ID: f57349

>a container of some weird honey looking stuff
Any chance that's the type of wax they need to heal? I hear it's worth quite a bit on the black market.
>>
No. 1043083 ID: 2de4fd

>>1043054
That's a bit mean!! but for real you should take the 3-person bike now because seriously that sect is going to get murdered to death otherwise so unless they feel like helping them out... in which case you should say you'll take the fast bike and do a sweep for their friend while you escape, that way they cover more ground as to where they could be. You got their info right
>>
No. 1043085 ID: 90c451

>>1043083
There was nothing saying we couldn't squeeze three on the big bike but the smaller one had a sidecar that was notably crushed. Can't use that anymore. So the only options are the fast bike or slow bike, with the fast bike being able to seat at least 2 and the slow bike might only fit 1 as it was designed with a sidecar in mind and that sidecar is smashed.
So, it is better if the sect goes on the faster bike still.
>>
No. 1043092 ID: b01382

>>1043082
It might be the stuff. Won't know until we ask around. Maybe Dowser would know.

>>1043083
but if we take the speeder then we'd be leaving our new friend behind, and we've no reason to believe that the tobaks would take the sect dude with them. we could probably convince them to kill the other sects tho before they eat Ashtray.

>>1043085
>All the passengers fall off onto the grass while the sidecar bike smashes and rolls, becoming too damaged to be very desirable.
>The sidecar bike still works - I'd just call it undesirable. It's slow and hard to control, no way am I driving off ramps and doing stunts with that thing.
Wasn't the slow bike the crashed and flipped over sidecar bike? I might be misreading something, but I'm pretty sure there was ever only the two. See here >>1039702
With the sidecar bike -which is banged up but still serviceable, we'll be able to sit our semi-comatose Bry in the sidecar, while Ashtray will sit in the back while Coil drives.
>>
No. 1043093 ID: b01382

>>1043005
wait what are those on the backs of Sects? Are they capable of flight, or not anymore as that was an older ancestor thing?
>>
No. 1043109 ID: ba605b

Anyone got any name ideas for our new Sect friend? I was thinking Juniper, Lilac, or Dew.
>>
No. 1043111 ID: 36784c

>>1043109
I was thinking of calling him Asher because he's a male and has that ashtray on his head.
>>
No. 1043116 ID: ba605b

>>1043111
Nice. We're not 100% sure its male, or actually it probsbly is male but I feel the need to ask him anyways. If its a girl then maybe Asha? Probably not necessary sp Asher sounds fine.
>>
No. 1043135 ID: 15c72a

Ashley is a gender-neutral name.
>>
No. 1043136 ID: f3a2ce

My God people, the man only just achieved higher thought, let's at least get him out of danger and calmed down before questioning him on his newly developed independence.
>>
No. 1043177 ID: 9d7180

>>1043135
According to https://namecensus.com/first-names/ , at least in 1990 there were 20x as many female Ashleys as male - doesn't sound very gender neutral to me. On the other hand, there were still more male Ashleys than e.g. Quintons, so more dual-purpose than I'd thought.

Uh, yeah, I guess it's time for impromptu thinking and fast reflexes! Grab the sect (and Bry?) and hop on the three-bike and teeter away quickly.
>>
No. 1043208 ID: 84c07e
File 166262274231.png - (249.42KB , 800x600 , TQ79.png )
1043208

>Dude you got him rogue! Now the queen will be even more pissed off
Maybe it’s a nice, merciful queen? Nah, I'm not sticking around to find out.

>Grab them and hop on a bike
We still haven't sorted out the bike dispute, and the sidecar bike is still toppled over, I'll need to take care of these drones first.

>Any chance that's the type of wax they need to heal? I hear it's worth quite a bit on the black market.
I think it is. It's in a weird container though, looks like it needs a tool to open. I don't really want money, so I don't think I'll sell it. I wonder if it goes good on toast...

>Give the other ones chocolate too
I don't have enough for all of them, and I have no interest in making even more rogues

>wait what are those on the backs of Sects? Are they capable of flight, or not anymore as that was an older ancestor thing?
Most certainly the latter I would say. I've seen plenty of sect with wings but none which use them. It's a bit odd.

>Can Bry drive?
He can fly a plane, so I'm hoping that a bike isn't too different.

The aggressive drones draw close and my protective side kicks in. I don't use my hands as weapons very often, but I've got no moral qualms as far as fighting hive minded drones goes. I come in swinging, and I hit hard. I grab one sect around the neck and knock another down with a single hit.
"Buzz off!" And SUBMIT to SUMMIT! I'm not saying that last bit out loud, it still sounds better in my head.
Drones don't perform very well when they are unarmed and low in numbers, so I easily overpower the four that come my way. A lot of them are padded with fluff which softens my blows, but they seem to be slow in getting back up partially due to the injuries they sustained from falling off the bikes.
"Can you give me a hand here? Bring the nail gun!"
Rye gets the message and comes to finish off the drones using his nail gun without any trouble.
>>
No. 1043209 ID: 84c07e
File 166262276393.png - (290.41KB , 800x600 , TQ80.png )
1043209

"Nice going, looks like you made it into a rogue. Now you'll have to give it a bed and feed it. It's a big responsibility you know. Got a name yet?"
The sect looks up at Wynn, having heard what she just said but still too dazed to fully comprehend it.

>Oh, and his name is now Ashley.
>Juniper, Lilac, or Dew.
>Asher
I can't believe I'm coming up with names so quickly after granting it sentience. Still, better names than 'ashtray guy.'

"Mhm. These guys aren't very creative, you'll have to come up with a name for him."
"It could be a she. Just saying!" He makes an awful face. I want him to stop.
"Not that it could object to whatever name you gave it. It won't be able to speak up without a voice collar. Hm. Actually... How about this - I'll make you two a new offer. You give us the fast bike, and I'll let you borrow Rye's speaking collar."
"Hey, I didn't agree to that! don't I get a say?"
"Nothing wrong with giving your voice a little vacation, is there?"
"Okie dokie! Our buzzy buddy might need it more."
"I don't suppose there's any chance you two would take the sect with you?"
"No way, this guy's on you. If you want, you can leave it to fend for itself, but I doubt it'll survive very long alone."
The drone doesn't exactly seem put at ease after hearing that.

>you could use a buddy besides Bry, so who better than a person whose life you saved as well as gave free will?
It wouldn't be a terrible idea to have an extra pair of hands to get us out of here. I've saved it and gave it free will, but I wonder if it sees it that way. Either way, I could use a sect's sense of smell in the situation that enemies draw near.
>>
No. 1043211 ID: 5d9787

Don't worry Ashley, I like you already. You would be safer traveling with independents but if something bad happen at least we will all be dying together, and that is marginally better than dying alone.
Just please don't turn out to be a cynical asshole...
>>
No. 1043212 ID: 15c72a

>>1043209
Acquire sect, use slower bike.
>>
No. 1043215 ID: f3a2ce

Hmm. I realize, you think it might be able to sniff out its former compatriots? Or maybe knows the routes they were taking? It's in it's best interest to avoid them and the same goes for you. Works out in the end. As long as the pheromones Ashley's putting off dont make it easier for the other drones to track you as well. Maybe Ashley ought to take a dip. Wash out a bit.
>>
No. 1043217 ID: 90c451

You know what? Fine. We can't spend too long talking about this, give Ashley the speaking collar and let's get the hell out of here.

Oh, and make sure you get some of that wax, you might not be able to use it or wanna sell it but I'm sure Ashley and Dowser's other roommate would be appreciative to have it.
Especially since this guy could be hurt after falling off that bike.

Also, ask of Ashley's gender. (Do sect even have gender? Is the only female the queen?)
>>
No. 1043220 ID: b39e6d

This is a good deal, you were going to use the three seater anyway. Say hello to Ash.
>>
No. 1043221 ID: 49bb4c

>>1043209
Unless Rye has some other way to speak to Wynn, giving away his speaking collar would prevent him from talking, right? I don't think we should take it. But I do want to give her a hard time over offeringtogive it to us, so I want to say this to her.

"Wow, Wynn, you're a terrible friend. You're going to give away Rye's speaking collar, with no guarantee that you'll ever see us again to get it back? Do you not like it when your friend talks to you or something?"
>>
No. 1043222 ID: 49bb4c

>>1043219
Could someone please report and delete this post? It's against the site rules by attempting to stir up drama and trying to personally attack Roaway.
>>
No. 1043227 ID: b01382

>>1043209
Sorry for accidentally making you independent Ashley or Ashur, but them's life. As an apology we can try to help you out? Even been to Summit before? It ain't all that bad to be honest.
Can you tell us what this jar of honey is for?
Can you help us find these two tobak's friend? Do you guys got like, something on you that smells like your friend? a comb or something?
Can you tell us if you can smell strangers, people, other corporations, or your old hive mates approaching?

>How about this - I'll make you two a new offer. You give us the fast bike, and I'll let you borrow Rye's speaking collar.
That's a pretty poor offer you're making Wynn. The bike is worth WAAAAAY more than the sidecart bike, so here's my counter offer:
-in exchange for us taking the slower bike and you the faster bike which is worth considerably more, we get to borrow the voice box
-in addition, we will receive your aid in finding our way back to base, and we in turn will help you find your friend via our sect buddy once our main objective is completed. we can try to push for you two to be compensated for your help in the form of material goods instead of corperate scripts. this is more of a win for you.
-we would like to have your contact information in case our schedules ever align so we can all go for beers, plus Wynn wants to date Bry so exchanging information is a given.
-friendship and possibly helping Coil find a nice lady friend that won't cause an accident that results in the removal of one of his hands.
-if we ever find ourselves unfortunately on the field, and we find loot, we would like to sell goods through you in exchange for goods our company cannot and will not supply us, but legally cannot take from us.

>>1043217
Most of our Wax is going to Ashey/Ashur since this is probably ALL the wax/honey they're ever get to use to help themselves since drones can't self heal, but yeah you're right. We could ask Dowser if he has any independent sect friends that are hurt. Easy way to make friends with Dowser AND make new friends with stranger! Looks like today is turning into something nice for Coil.
>>
No. 1043228 ID: 99ca7b

"So if you're giving us Rye's speaker, is that a promise to meet back up later?"
>>
No. 1043236 ID: 3120d8

Well, we will save the money on buying a voice collar ourselves, at least.
Apologize to Rye for the inconvinience and take the offer.


>>1043217
The drone on the plane was female, and Dowser called these ones male in a previous thread, but yes, I don't know whether they are actually just rudimentary characteristics or if they are fully developed.
>>
No. 1043243 ID: 813e98

Man, they must be having a meltdown. Can they talk?
>>
No. 1043248 ID: 84c07e
File 166268190841.png - (231.25KB , 800x600 , TQ81.png )
1043248

"So, if you're giving us Rye's speaker, is that a promise to meet back up later?"
"You know what? Sure. When you stop being followed and we're not looking for our friend, we can meet up again" We exchange contact information
"I don't get it, don't you like it when your friend speaks to you? There's a chance we can't get it back to you."
"I get that, but Rye's tails and screen face work just fine so he can still communicate with me. In reality, I'm not offering the collar as a deal sweetener - if there's three of you, you're taking the 3-seater anyway. This is my way of giving you guys a parting gift that you're going to need."
"So... you're not a terrible friend?"
"Not by a long shot! We watch each other’s backs, but we'll still help out someone in need! It's written in the scavenger's code!"
"What's in the scavengers code anyway? I've been meaning to read it."
"Who knows! Here, take this. There's a dial on the side which changes the sound of the voice! play around with it and see what works." Rye reaches into his neck fluff and pulls out a small device attached to a collar. he wraps it around the drone's neck and gives its head a few pats.
I apologise to Rye for the inconvenience, and his screen face blinks the words 'all good!'

Wynn and Rye get on the two-seater bike and drive away. All that remains here is the drone, Bry and I. I can see Bry starting to come back to us.

I approach the drone and crouch down to it.

"Hello."
>"H-hello? What's going on? Where am I? What's happening? What... Who... am I?"
"I'm Coil, and it looks like you've accidentally been given free will."
>"Did I just... Become a rogue?! N-no - Wait! I don't... I don't want free will! I want to be mindless! I want to be mindless again! I want to go back! Please..."
"I'm sorry, but it looks like you'll have to be your own boss from now on."
>"I can't be... I feel like I was connected, a part of something just a moment ago! and then I was just... torn away... What... Is my purpose."
"That's for you to decide some time. Think you can come up with something that I can call you?" It pauses for a while and looks away.
>"I can't... think of anything. Why can't I think of anything?"
"I hear that's normal. Are you ok with me giving you a name?"
>"I... O-ok..."
"I'm not too initiated with how sect reproduction works. Can you tell me if you're male or female?"
>"I... have no idea. I'll have to check."
"Female. "
>"O-oh. Ok. I think he's right. Who's he?"
"That's Bry. Him and I will be with you for the foreseeable future."
"Coil, I didn't know you made a new friend! What's her name?"
"I'm thinking... Ashley."
>"Ashley? I think I'm ok with that. Can I take this crown off? It's uncomfortable."
I think I should eventually bring her back to Lyvy. Even if he doesn’t like me, he certainly has a lot of sympathy for other sect rogues. If someone could teach Ashley here the ropes, it’d be him.
>>
No. 1043249 ID: 515982

Yes. Ditch the crown, it makes you very identifiable as a specific rogue. First thing to learn is how to blend in, go with the flow. Just do whatever the people around you are doing to look inconspicuous. -Except for Bry, don't copy from him.
>>
No. 1043252 ID: ba605b

>>1043248
Shes lost and without purpose. Lets help with that! She's our new friend and buddy.
>>
No. 1043253 ID: ba605b

>>1043248
Oh right yeah does she feel like she knows how to use a gun?
Apply back rubs to make her feel better. Head pats are inappropriate and dont feel good when you have metal hands.
Suggest she finishes the rest of the candy bar and we'll be moving for a while, so she might not have another chance to eat for who knows how long. Gotta keep that caloric intake topped off.
>>
No. 1043254 ID: 00e87a

Try to get the bike going. We shouldn't stay here too long.
>>
No. 1043255 ID: 36784c

>>1043248
How could Bry tell that Ashley was female? Is he familiar with Sect anatomy or something?

Might as well take that crown off her head and bring her along with us.

Is there anything we need to take from the other Sect bodies? And do we need to take any rival company logos off of Ashley's clothing?
>>
No. 1043257 ID: 5d9787

I was expecting she would be able to remember the events she experienced so far, or at least most of what she has being ordered to do. It might be useful to know what she was looking for during her patrol and whatever else she understand about the recent hive activities.

Aren't you excited about this Coil? You got the chance to hang out with someone in need of guidance and protection, it's like having a friend beside Bry. Maybe she will like you and your number of friends will really double!

Let me help you remove this thing from your head.
Look Ashley, I would love to show you around and find out what you like and dislike, but unfortunately we are currently in a dangerous situation. We will try to keep you safe, but if you can help us along the way we will be very grateful.
Once we return to civilization I will treat you to a nice meal and introduce you to some friends. If you want you can stay with me until you get your bearings, just please don't let my roommate attitude rub on you.

I'm going with a mentor friend thing that I would be in favor regardless of her gender because I assume Coil feel no attraction toward her whatsoever but after Rye's insinuation it's worth asking:
Are you interested Coil? Maybe a little bit curious?
If you are save it for a more appropriate situation.
>>
No. 1043286 ID: f2c147

>>1043248
Politely ask if you can feel her neck fluff with your face. Legends say that their fluff is the fluffiest thing on the planet.
>>
No. 1043304 ID: 2656c1

Sure, get rid of the hat.
And celebrate that as the first action you actually wanted to perform.
>>
No. 1043307 ID: 90c451

Crown? uh... Yeah, sure let's go with that. Let's take it off and never ever tell Ashley her name comes from having an ashtray on her head.
Also, ask if she's okay, make sure nothing's broken. Then, let's ride, get the hell out of here and explain things on the way. Tell her you have a rogue sect friend she can stay with and he can show her the ropes. Also should mention you're being chased right now, and that things are gonna be dangerous for a bit.
>>
No. 1043309 ID: 244451

The "crown" can be a little trial for what's to come to his life. Explain her what it is and let her decide. It might even fuel a bit of fire in her heart to know she was being used as an ashtray.
>>
No. 1043311 ID: b01382

>>1043248
Would Coil ever consider dating a sect?

>>1043309
+1
>>
No. 1043312 ID: 813e98

Away with the crown then. Tell her to take it slow. Wait, how does Bry know their sex?

What is our next step then?
>>
No. 1043318 ID: d12415

>>1043312
Any number of reasons, but likely because males are very rare in hives and used only for reproduction.
>>
No. 1043319 ID: 3120d8

>>1043311
This poor creature just became self-aware, she is basically a child. We can't date that kind of person!

Besides, most male tobaks prefer tall ladies.
>>
No. 1043336 ID: b01382

>>1043319
more like amnesiac, plus she's fully grown, and an alien. So a child is kinda wack. Is she still a child when she was an unaware drone despite being fully grown?
>>
No. 1043349 ID: 84c07e
File 166278084286.png - (315.13KB , 800x600 , TQ82.png )
1043349

I take the ashtray off her head and discard it accordingly. It will hopefully be a while before she realizes that I named her after it.
"Congratulations! that is the first action you actually wanted to perform!"
>"Wait, really? Ah! Maybe... this won't be so hard after all?"

>Aren't you excited about this Coil? You got the chance to hang out with someone in need of guidance and protection, it's like having a friend beside Bry. Maybe she will like you and your number of friends will really double!
I won't lie, I like the idea of making a new friend. The first things I'll try to teach her is the meaning of friendship.
>Politely ask if you can feel her neck fluff with your face. Legends say that their fluff is the fluffiest thing on the planet.
If I know two things that don't mix well, it's fluff and mechanical hands! I wouldn't feel it so I won't try, I'm sure she'd still appreciate the gesture.
>Would you ever consider dating a sect?
I can't say I've felt attraction to anything besides tobak gals, so maybe not. I'm sure Bry has already done so in the past, there's no doubt about it.

"Do you feel like you know how to use a gun?"
>"I can't remember firing one before so... I don't think so."
"Do you remember what you were out here patrolling for?"
>"I don't have memory of that, oddly enough. I was just... following instructions. I think we were... sniffing for something?"
"Look Ashley, I would love to show you around and find out what you like and dislike, but unfortunately we are currently in a dangerous situation. We will try to keep you safe, but if you can help us along the way we will be very grateful."
>"I'd... like to make myself useful. Just show me what you would like me to do."
"Are you feeling ok after falling off the bike? And injuries?"
>"I don't know, I've never felt any different than I feel right now. I can move so I don't think anything's broken."
"I have another sect rogue frie- associate, he can be of help you for. For now, things may be a little dicey until we can get back to safety. Think you can follow our lead?"
>"I'll try my best."

>How could Bry tell that Ashley was female? Is he familiar with Sect anatomy or something?
Bry has some kind of supernatural ability to always tell the sex of another living thing, regardless of species. Bry has won me many bets in the lunchroom.

>Try to get the bike going. We shouldn't stay here too long.
The three of us work together to push the bike off its side, and we get it into working condition. There should be enough fuel to get us out of here, so we get going. Bry drives, Ashley sits in the sidecar while I occupy the seat behind bry. I have Ashley the rest of the chocolate bar she started eating so she can finish it off. I ask if she can pick anything up with her nose, she says she can only pick up me, Bry and the smell coming from Bry's pipe - the smell of which apparently puts her at ease.

We drive for a short while, not in any particular direction, we just want to get enough distance between us and anyone trying to follow us. The grass shifts from blue to red as we travel towards a region with giant colorful crystals.
>>
No. 1043350 ID: 84c07e
File 166278086134.png - (264.92KB , 800x600 , TQ83.png )
1043350

I rummage through my backpack for the radio, once I have it I check to see if I have a good signal.

I speak a few phrases to see if I get any responses, and eventually, I do.
"Coil? Is that you?"
"Yes! wait - who's this?"
"Oh, damn! Hold on a sec! Hey, Captain! I've got him on the radio! "
>"Really? Give it here."
>"Coil?"
"Fletcher! Is everything ok?"
>"We're fine. Turns out you were right, we did have a traitor. We pressed this 'Sam' for information, and I've got a clearer picture of the situation. Do you still have the blue suitcase?"
"I've got it right here - safe and sound."
>"Good. I was worried you and Bryto went down with the plane. Listen... Whatever was in that suitcase, it's... Very important. HQ wants it back. HQ really wants it back. What is your situation?"
>>
No. 1043354 ID: 8483cf

In transit, no obvious secure place to await evac.
>>
No. 1043359 ID: bf7d5b

Just cruising the neighbourhood. Could use some nice tunes, though.
>>
No. 1043361 ID: 515982

Traveling away from you to get signal. Be aware, signs of hostile corporations and fauna in the area. We passed a watchtower that was taken out by a headsplitter. Also, a sect queen working for Talion is scouring the area on bikes. Will reverse direction to meet with you for evac.
>>
No. 1043362 ID: 15c72a

>>1043350
Tell them you're in transit with Bry, but you're worried about how secure this radio is. It'd be best not to reveal either of your positions. Also you have a freshly independent Sect with you, just so she knows and doesn't get surprised about it.
Do you have a pre-arranged rendezvous point? You can meet there.
>>
No. 1043369 ID: 99ca7b

We raided a spy outpost, stole a bike, and rogued a sect. Currently on the move, over.
>>
No. 1043370 ID: e5709d

"Fletcher, there's 21 of these drives and they all say the same thing: LuneCore found some kind of device that sacrifices Rin-Reida to permanently boost intelligence. That's what the manifesto says, anyway. But if corporate wants it, then we need to make damn sure the blueprints are not encrypted on these drives first."
>>
No. 1043373 ID: 00e87a

Don't reveal too much, we don't know who else is listening. Just say that you and Bry are OK and that you have secured a vehicle.
>>
No. 1043374 ID: 6ba741

>>1043370
>>1043369
+1 these

>>1043373
Not this, we're not supposes to know whats in here. If we tell her, we'll be in trouble.
>>
No. 1043377 ID: 398700

>>1043374
you mixed up your links I think, we should maybe not say >>1043370


at least not until we know our boss isn't secretly hitler and can understand how poor an idea it is giving a company this.
>>
No. 1043382 ID: 2aa5f0

keep it simple and don't tell her too much. It's not that you don't trust her it's just that you don't know how secure this talk is.

Tell them you managed to get your hands on another vehicle and are using it to reach the safety of company lines.

Although now that I think about it do you even know where you are exactly? I've kind of just had the impression that you were moving in the general direction of where you thought you were going while you were flying the plane.
>>
No. 1043383 ID: f3a2ce

>>1043382
I just figured Bry knew. He was the main pilot after all.
>>
No. 1043386 ID: b01382

>>1043377
+1
>>
No. 1043393 ID: c28082

>>1043350

Mobile and ready to rendezvous.
>>
No. 1043402 ID: 36784c

>>1043350
Tell her that you’re a little lost and you’re not entirely sure which way you’re supposed to go in order to meet up with her.
>>
No. 1043403 ID: 36784c

>>1043402
Also you should mention what happened in the bunker. You encountered a neumono that was coordinating some teams to look for you and her group. However, we don’t need to worry about that anymore because some random tobak came and took care of that neumono.

You get the the feeling that tobak allowed you to live because he was more interested in the neumono.
>>
No. 1043411 ID: 9a2966

Be obnoxiously chipper and casual-sounding about all of this. Gotta keep morale up!

Say you escaped, but that you overheard one of your hunters (and borrowed some of their swag) and now you know you have a buncha offworlders after you. And some Tobak named the 'Tourist'? And a badass named Lak that's got everyone scared. And those fake Talion mercs too, for good measure. Getting crowded down here!

You won't say where you're headed over comms, there's probably still surveillance going on and you're being triangulated as you speak, especially as you just rogue'd one of the fake-Talion sects. They should probably quickly intel dump you if they got any news. Might expand your current options!

(Do not admit to having accessed and read the drive and do not admit to having had a 'not murdered me' close encounter with Lak. The more you seem ignorant in this, the more you might not get hunted down if things get bad. Or afterwards.)

Thought - did you bundle up the drive in the bioarmor inside the suitcase? That'd be a neat trap for anyone not you opening it up and trying to take it away.
>>
No. 1043426 ID: 84c07e
File 166285546538.png - (251.14KB , 800x600 , TQ84.png )
1043426

"In transit!"
>"I can hear that. Where are you going?"
"Just cruising the neighbourhood. Could use some nice tunes, though."
>"It's good to know that the fall didn't break your spirit. So, you have no destination?"
"We were looking to get a signal, which I guess we got."
>"Good. Care to give me a rundown on your situation?"
"We entered a bunker, stole a bike and recruited a rogue sect. I should mention that I found out that there is a whole group of mercenaries trying to get the case. Oh, and Talion also appears to be in the area. I don't know how much I want to reveal, somebody might be listening."
>"It's fine. I don't care who listens to this. I'm well aware of the situation regarding the mercenaries - you're not the only one who's been busy."
"Mmmmm! Mmmmmph!"
>"SHUT UP, STRING BEAN."
"Who was that?"
>"Someone calling himself 'Mister Snow.' He isn't very mouthy, even without the gag. He is also a TERRABLE SHOT. From what I've gathered, he was being given orders from someone called 'Mister Peach' who was supposed to be watching them through cameras. Seems like he stopped responding though."
"That corroborates with something that happened on my end. I went into an abandoned Summit Bunker to see if I could find a way to contact HQ only to find some alien guy on a computer, ordering a bunch of 'Misters' around."
>"Well how about that. What happened? Did you take him out?"
"Not quite. some tobak came in and... murdered him? I'm not sure."
I don't want to mention that I know about the drive. I know that nothing good can come from involving myself with it any further.
>"You'll need to give your account when we're back to safety. Whoever these guys are, I'm certain that they are the ones that wanted to down the plane. I can tell that they paid off those Edevane pilots to try shoot us down to make it look like Edevane orchestrated it. These guys didn't want their involvement to be known, that's for sure."
"Alright, well, I'll ask Bry to steer this bike around and we can make our way over to you."
>"No. we won't be doing a rendezvous."
"What? Why not?"
>"There are people who will get to you before we do. I've spoken to HQ and they are sending a team to come out and pick you up. Keep on heading north towards Summit territory so you can meet them halfway. Do you see crystals?
"Lots. Why?"
>"You're heading in the right direction then. Just ahead of that should be an open area where one of our patrols will spot you."
"What about you?"
>"Nobody here is in any danger, except maybe the crook and the traitor. The suitcase is what everyone is after, and you're the only one in the way to stop them from getting it."
While I have Fletcher on the call, I debate if I should make amends for past annoyances, but I’m unsure whether now’s a good time or not.

>did you bundle up the drive in the bioarmor inside the suitcase?
That I did. I'll be a nasty surprise to anyone who gets a little too grabby.
>>
No. 1043427 ID: 515982

No time like the present. You may be in questioning with corpo security for a while, so say sorry for the headaches and see you on the other side.
>>
No. 1043429 ID: a2d88b

Mention that the guy ordered Mr Tan to kill the surviving Edevane pilot as a "loose end", and Fletcher should make sure Sam knows that. Then outright spell out what it means for her because she's just that dumb.
>>
No. 1043431 ID: 9a2966

Any callsign, ID, or whatnot for the patrol so you don't go 'hey, I got your luggage' to the wrong group of people?
>>
No. 1043432 ID: b01382

>>1043426
>"If I die, I wanna let you know I'm sorry about the whole hair thing. Over and out."
Keep it quick and simple.
>>
No. 1043434 ID: 36784c

>>1043426
>I don't want to mention that I know about the drive. I know that nothing good can come from involving myself with it any further.
Too late for that. Since you used the neumono’s bioarmor as a trap inside the suitcase, that means that everyone is going to know that you opened it and you know about the drive.

I believe what you intended to say was that you don’t want anyone to know that you plugged in the drive and read what was on it. As long as nobody knows about that, you’ll be fine.

But maybe you should mention the bioarmor trap to her? It’d really suck if you delivered it and one of your superiors got killed by it. They’d definitely blame Fletcher for that and she’d get in trouble because it was her idea to give you the suitcase for delivery.
>>
No. 1043435 ID: a6d402

Are you sure you want to apologize? She did crush your hand.

Do mention you stole Mister Peach's belongings, including his smut magazine: basically guns and gals. We got to do something like that! Maybe a company calendar of tobaks. It will be the most profitable publication on the planet.
>>
No. 1043439 ID: 15c72a

>>1043426
Yeah ask how you'll know you've run into the right people.
>>
No. 1043440 ID: 15a025

>>1043431
Problem with giving a call sign over the radio, is anyone listening in could intercept that and dupe us.

Try and get names or see if anyone in the party we're meeting with is someone you know.
>>
No. 1043473 ID: 244451

Warn about the misters that might still be alive and that they seem of the type that would kill their comrades before they gets interrogated (be watchful, you are not out of danger).

The misters we know are: Mister Jade, Mister Crimson, Mister Tan, Mister Amber, Mister Olive (Deceased), Mister Teal, Mister Snow, Mister Silver and Mister Gold.

Also, there is no time for a good enought apology but make the path for one.
>>
No. 1043493 ID: 813e98

Don't beat around the bush. Just say you are sorry for being an inconsiderate asshole and that you'll make up for it when this is all over. Keep it brief and professional. She will appreciate that.
>>
No. 1043520 ID: 84c07e
File 166293676169.png - (310.95KB , 800x600 , TQ85.png )
1043520

"For future reference, I should tell you that the 'Misters' I know are Mister Jade, Mister Crimson, Mister Tan, Mister Amber, Mister Olive, Mister Teal, Mister Snow, Mister Silver and Mister Gold. Seems mister Olive is deceased, Peach’s status is debatable and Snow is in your care. I'm unaware of what the rest are up to."
>"That's very helpful. We will try keep that in mind."

"Any callsign, ID, or whatnot for the patrol? How will I know I've run into the right people?"
>"There is a sign-countersign code. You know what it is. I'm not repeating it over the radio, just in the off chance that someone is listening."
Thunder. Flash. Welcome. I always wondered if I'd ever use that.
"Will I recognize anyone in the rescue party?"
>"Not likely, but I'm sure most of them would recognize Bry, he's a bit of a company celebrity."
"Yeah, yeah I know."

"Is Sam there? tell her that this 'Mr Tan' fellow was ordered to kill the surviving Edevane pilot for being a loose end. That might put things into some perspective."
>"I'll be sure to relay that. I'm still not sure why she decided to do something so stupid."

>Are you sure you want to apologize? She did crush your hand.
Eh. I don't know that for sure. Even if she did, I'm not bitter about it.
"While I still have you, I wanted to apologize for my past actions."
>"I - huh? apologize? that's unlike you. now isn't an amazing time but... what did you want to apologize for?"
"I'm sorry for publicly embarrassing you by pulling your ear that one time. I play a lot of pranks, but I want to change how I treat people from now on."
>"Well I... that's interesting. If you're really sorry, I can see myself forgiving that, even if people keep calling me 'honey ears' despite my rank. But it's going to take a whole lot more than an apology for me to start trusting you again."
"That's fine. I forgive you for breaking my hand."
>"Don't get the wrong idea, I was upset with you at the time, but what happened there wasn't my fault. It really was an accident, as much as I like to believe it was some cosmic form of karma. You were under my watch at the time, that much of the blame is on me."
"I'll give you a proper apology when we meet in person, for now, I'll try get this case back to HQ."
>"Please don't mess up. Both of our jobs are on the line here."

I hear Fletcher switch off the radio. I go to switch it off too, but I hear a different voice come on.
"Wow! You tobaks are smart cookies! we were told you guys were essentially just pets for the companies!"
"Who is this? How much did you just hear?"
"Enough. I'm hoping you and I can sort out a deal to make things right. You can call me Mister Tan."
"Oh yeah? You can make a deal with me so you can tie me up like a loose end right after?"
"It's a little late to tie up loose ends. I'm speaking to you now so that we can compromise, forgive and forget! y'know, olive branch and all that. How about instead of delivering the case to your soulless, faceless company - you bring it to us? I'm willing to make it worth your while."
>>
No. 1043521 ID: 8483cf

Shyeah right! Next you'll try to sell me some NFTobaks, guaranteed to increase in value.
>>
No. 1043524 ID: e5709d

"You lost the right to negotiate the moment your cock-sucking commander ordered you to execute POWs for being 'loose ends'. I'd tell you to take it up with him, but he's busy getting his stomach raped with acid claws by a psychopath."
Hang up.
>>
No. 1043527 ID: b01382
File 166293833499.png - (6.81KB , 400x400 , Kobold.png )
1043527

>>1043520
Switch off the radio, we've already revealed enough. Who knows, maybe they'll be able to track our position by our radio frequency or something. Better safe than sorry.
>>
No. 1043529 ID: 5d9787

Sure pal, I'm going straight to your location. Just wait for me there.

That is enough radio talk. It was an interesting talk but unfortunately that just informed the enemies everything they need to know about you.
>>
No. 1043530 ID: 99ca7b

Keep talking for a little bit, but talk about something inane, slowly taking the conversation more and more into abstract nonsense, to waste their time. Then turn the radio off mid-sentence and tell Bry to turn to a slightly different heading, just in case they were firing a radio-tracking missile or something.
>>
No. 1043533 ID: 708905

>>1043520
Demmand something totally ridiculous in exchange then turn off the radio
>>
No. 1043534 ID: 00e87a

Ask Tan what he's offering.
>>
No. 1043537 ID: c28082

>>1043520

Become momentarily distracted by Bry's butt.
>>
No. 1043540 ID: 15c72a

>>1043520
Ask Bry what he thinks. This is no decision you can make on your own.
>>
No. 1043542 ID: 36784c

>>1043520
"Ok, let's-" *make static noise with mouth* "-d we can-" *more static noises* "-hear me? You're breaking-" *even more static noises, then shut off the radio*
>>
No. 1043543 ID: 515982

Keep an eye out for threats, the odds of this working are so low he's probably just buying time.
"Sorry Mister Tan, but I've seen things today. And right now, I need the cold, dependable comfort of punching in my timecard at the end of a long day working for the company."
>>
No. 1043572 ID: 9e7f25

They've done literally nothing to endear themselves in any way. For that to even be considered they're gonna have to be very honest about why they want it. You do have some knowledge of what's inside so it shouldn't be too hard to tell if they're lying.

Also considering they had fucking laser artillery they more than likely have a way to track radio signals. Keep a hard lookout if you feel like talking.
>>
No. 1043598 ID: 813e98

Nah, fuck them. Just switch the radio off. Use it only if necessary. We knew this was going to happen. Just keep going and keep your eyes and ears open. Tell Ash to pay attention to the smells.
Informe Bry about our situation.
>>
No. 1043601 ID: b01382

>>1043520
Do not squeeze Bry's ass, no matter how big it looks. Fight the temptation Coil!
Lel but no maybe try handing Ashley an unloadee pistol (remove bullet from chamber too) and see if she has any muscle memory of using it.
>>
No. 1043602 ID: a2d88b

Simply turn the radio off. We can't use it to locate him, we can't be sure the reverse applies.
>>
No. 1043716 ID: 88648f

>>1043602
Ooh, I just had a better idea: Tell him you'll never work for LuneCore and they will all die for associating with them.
>>
No. 1043717 ID: 9da85d

Why not tell Ashley the sign and countersign and send her to get the guys so you can set a trap for Mr. Tan?

.........Yeah, he's likely prepared. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
>>
No. 1043723 ID: 36784c

>>1043717
No. We have a mission to complete and can't afford to be wasting time chasing the bad guys.
>>
No. 1043745 ID: b01382

>>1043723
This guy has a point.

Still cant get over how much cake Bry is packing in those pants.
>>
No. 1043748 ID: 15c72a

Oh, I just realized, we can throw the "soulless, faceless company" back in his face. Tell him you have no idea who they are. They might be another company that's worse, and probably are.
>>
No. 1043754 ID: b01382

>>1043748
But why bother continuing the diologue?
>>
No. 1044046 ID: 15a025

Time for radio silence.
>>
No. 1044266 ID: b01382

Bry's cake give me reason to wake up everyday.
>>
No. 1044285 ID: 4c75f0

Don't say anything. Just hang up the radio and continue onwards.
>>
No. 1044297 ID: ba605b

>>1044285
What about commenting on how Bry manages to walk around without his cheeks clapping?
>>
No. 1044301 ID: fc1eab

>>1044297
Dont.
Say.
Anything.
>>
No. 1044306 ID: 084179

>>1044301
Can we talk about his dumbstruck after we turn off the radio?
>>
No. 1044520 ID: a758c7

don’t respond, squeeze Bry’s ass and pet Ashley’s fluffy head
>>
No. 1044527 ID: b01382

>>1044520
this
>>
No. 1044582 ID: 36db0e
File 166398334815.png - (299.21KB , 800x600 , TQ86.png )
1044582

>Radio silence
I turn of the radio, deciding not to dignify him with a response and not letting him have the opportunity to track me through the radio. It doesn't matter what he could've offered me, not an off-world ticket, not a billion zeny, not even all the chocolate and beer on the planet. I have a job to do, and I won't waste time.

>Become momentarily distracted by Bry's butt.
What? I'm not gonna... well, it is a bit distracting.

>Hand pistol to Ashley to see if she has muscle memory of using it.
I gave her the unloaded pistol
>"I uh... I'm not sure how this works... where do the nails go?"
Looks like she has only ever been trained in using a nail gun.

"Hm? Looking at something?"
"Hm? Nope. Even if I was, how could you tell? You can't see my eyes, can you?"
"Maybe not, but I know the feel of one's wandering gaze~"
"Doesn't matter what you know, it only matters what you can prove. Wait, aren’t you supposed to be driving?"
"That's just it, it appears we aren't moving."
"Why not? Are we in mud or something?"
"To the contrary, seems like we aren't touching the ground."
"I know you were good at flying things, but I didn't know you could fly a bike."
"I'm just as surprised as you are!"
>>
No. 1044584 ID: 36db0e
File 166398342219.png - (328.77KB , 800x600 , TQ87.png )
1044584

"Huh?"

Just then, I notice a slight pulling sensation on my hands and horns. Before I can react to what's happening, various tools and pieces that I was keeping in my backpack are floating right in front of me. Even my pistol has been pulled from my pocket and has joined the group of possessed objects.

"Are you feeling that in your horns too, Coil?"
"Yeah... I don't like it."
>"W-what's going on?!"

The bike lifts several feet off the ground, rocking and shaking ever so slightly.
>>
No. 1044585 ID: 36db0e
File 166398344587.png - (323.08KB , 800x600 , TQ88.png )
1044585

The bike suddenly flips upside-down, emptying Ashley, Bry and I all out onto the grass below which softens the fall. All of the tools, guns, and the suitcase lands on the ground around us.

"Is everyone OK?"
"I'm good."
>"I'm ok... I think."
"Looks like our bike is being taken."
"How unfair! Who would ever steal a bike?"
>*sniff sniff*... "I smell something. They smell a lot like tobaks... but there's something different about them... There's something else, a strong smell that I don't recognise."
>>
No. 1044586 ID: a7a180

Grab whatever you can hold back and RUN. Strong magnetic force? Tobaks but wrong? This sounds like the headsplitter you were talking about.
>>
No. 1044594 ID: 15c72a

>>1044585
Head splitter! You're already within range, so you're uh, probably screwed. Okay you have ONE chance of beating this thing, which is to get your new friend to kill it for you, without getting swarmed by its tobak slaves. The bullets in that gun, they're not made of ferrous material, right? Maybe it has a harder time with smaller items anyway...

Anyway, give Ashley some basic instructions on how to use the gun, and a description of the head splitter, and where to shoot it to kill it as fast as possible so it doesn't kill everyone in its death throes.
>>
No. 1044597 ID: 398700

>>1044585
oh, oh it's a giant electromagnet. That's probably not good for us. Seconding getting the bee friend to take charge here, they're the only one that wouldn't get frazzled by this.
>>
No. 1044598 ID: a9af05

>>1044585
Grab the suitcase and everyone needs to get the fuck out of there!
>>
No. 1044600 ID: d83d50

Oh geeze oh fuck oh shit oh gosh you guys need to get going. Hope Ashley can get an idea of how to use these guns cause worse case scenario she may have to save your lives. Maybe get the single shot overcharged gun if it's not to far out of reach.
>>
No. 1044601 ID: fc1eab

I feel like it is much more likely that this is some sort of ambush set up by who the fuck knows with some sort of electromagnet.

I highly doubt this is the headsplitter thing since any creature with an electromagnet that strong would risk killing itself from the impact of very high speed attracted objects.

Regardless, I don't think the case is coming with us if it is in the bike. None of you are strong enough to rip it off of whatever it is attached to (the robo hands may have enough grip strength, but without the robo arms and probably robo legs and back, you won't have enough pulling strength).

Also how the fuck are your hands not ripped off from the magnetic pull?
>>
No. 1044602 ID: f3a2ce

>>1044601
There's plenty of metals that are nonmagnetic. I would think manufacturers would take that into account. I'm sure its also a faraday cage as well, lest the data in the contents get scrambled.
>>
No. 1044606 ID: cd6841

Quick, grab the suitcase !
Next, weapons, and then seek cover. And look up, try to see what's pulling the bike, a magnet that powerful has to be quite big.
>>
No. 1044608 ID: 5d9787

Assuming this is a magnetic phenomenon there are a few things to consider:
-The source of the magnetism must be robust. Magnetism isn't magic, the force necessary to lift a bike will produce an opposite force of equivalent intensity. If this is a creature it's strength is far beyond what you can handle.
-Manipulating floating objects with magnetism is a very complicated procedure. Normally everything would continue to accelerate toward the source. To keep those objects in place there could be either a single electromagnetic source above adjusting it's potency to match the gravitational force, multiple sources around you coordinating their magnetism to match each other or a magnetic lock. None of those are easy to implement.
-Although during the process multiple metallic objects were lifted they proceeded to fall while the bike continued to float. This is a very selective magnetism and I have no idea how it's possible to aim at a target and avoid influencing things so close to it.

I'm not sure what's going on. My first though is that you are already at the mercy of something you can't handle, but even this is true there is no point in acting as if you already lost. For now the best course of action is to pick the most important belongings and move as far away from what you think is the source as possible.
If this is a head splitter preparing Ashley to handle things is a good idea.

In case the situation isn't as dire as I'm assuming it is, there is something you could improvise that would be helpful if you have access to room temperature superconductive wires. Obviously this doesn't exist in real life (yet) but it's common in science fiction so it could be a normal component of electronics in this setting.
Normally a Faraday cage isn't capable of protecting it's interior from intense magnetism because of limitations of the materials, but if it's made of a superconductive material it is as effective as it is with electricity. With enough cable it should be possible to protect their horns from mind influencing waves, just have to make sure the space between the bars are smaller than the waves you are protecting against. The negative consequences would be their incapacity of feeling magnetism of others while still transmitting. It also wouldn't help all that much against powerful magnetic attractions because the cage itself could be manipulated, however if it's a single connected cage for both horns and the natural instinct of the creature is to pull each horn to a diferente direction it could be very effective.
>>
No. 1044617 ID: a7a180

Oh, and I hope the suitcase has some kind of anti-magnetic lining or the magnetic force required to lift up and flip a bike has probably corrupted anything that was left on your maltese drive.
>>
No. 1044625 ID: 36db0e
File 166403765079.png - (364.06KB , 800x600 , TQ89.png )
1044625

>Headsplitter
I've only heard stories, but this seems to add up. If that is the case... I think we might be screwed. I look around carefully, but I don't see anything anywhere. I'm not sure what to even look for, I've only heard that they are tall, covered in horns and have long tails. I have even heard that they can speak, but I somewhat doubt it. I never knew one was capable of making a whole bike float in place... unless there's more than one?

>Look up
It's too hard to tell what's up there, the formations on the roof make a lot of potentially good hiding spots.

I get up while trying to pick up as many important items as I can. Bry moves to help me. I don't know if the magnetism messed with whatever was in the suitcase, but I assume there are some safeguards built in to prevent what is inside from being destroyed remotely.

A magnetic force abruptly takes control of me and Bry's horns and forces our heads down to the ground. My hands still seem to be free for the time being. Ashley is expectedly unaffected by the magnetism, but I can tell she is starting to panic.
>"What's happening? Are you guys ok? I-I don't know what to do!"

I magnetically sense a large cluster of male tobaks heading over to us, and it doesn't take long for me to spot a dozen of them approaching from behind nearby rocks. There's something... wrong about these tobaks - they don't look right. I think for a second that they must be covered in tribal body paint, but when they get closer, I notice that it's their actual fur. All of them have the same colors and patterns, a muddy red with a golden stripe that goes from their chins to their tails. They all have an identical arrangement of spots on their arms, shoulders, and foreheads.

If they aren't painted and all of their fur is actually like that, that must mean these tobaks are some form of mutant. Whatever the case, they are all armed with makeshift spears, I can see a few in the back with bows.

One walks up close and crouches down to get a better look at me. I wriggle uncomfortably as he glares at me.
"What's up with you guys?" I ask. He just stares some more.

He turns to another tobak and speaks.
>"Ak takayat tyt voyarat tiac liet."
>"Pffft. Actarieyl!"
They start making hand motions to each other. I think it's some form of modified tail speach... or... nope, never mind. they are just making fun of my hands.
"Any clue what they want?"
"Hardly."

The tribal speak does tell me that these guys are tribals, or they at least used to be. I speak up but I can't seem to get a response from anyone capable of speaking human.

I look around more for any signs of the head splitter, but it still seems to be in hiding
Ashley sniffs the air and speaks again.
>"It's coming! something I'm unfamiliar with is getting closer - what should I do?"
>>
No. 1044628 ID: a2d88b

If your tails can still move, try signaling something. "HELP", "FRIENDLY" or "INCOMING BEAST" maybe?

There's probably a reason their fur color is reminiscent of neumono predators, but there's not enough elements to help us now and Coil doesn't know that anyway.
>>
No. 1044632 ID: a7a180

What’s the tail sign for ‘turn around’?
>>
No. 1044644 ID: 5d9787

Ashley, pick the plasma blunderbuss. It can only shot once so the only target worth using it is the headsplitter. You will have to judge the situation as it develop, wait for the opportunity and decide to be either violent or diplomatic.

All of them are wearing pants and they don't seem like the sort of tribal that does a lot of trade.
Also very different features, none of them have similar shapes of ears, eyes and horns. Not sure how this work for tobaks but that look like a sign they are not as closely related as I would expect an isolated tribe to be.
>>
No. 1044649 ID: fc1eab

>>1044625
Okay, okay, so bare with me here:
What if these guys are a genetically engineered hybrid form of Tobak that not only can sense electromagnetic fields, but also can generate their own? Assuming they are intelligent and have been here for a while, you could potentially end up with Tobaks who have mastered this to such a degree that, working together, they can create immensely powerful "beams" of magnetism through an extremely convoluted arrangement of interfering fields. Given how electrical and magnetic fields work, they can also probably shoot lightning and fry (or power) electronics (with electrical surge, not emp).
>>
No. 1044650 ID: fc1eab

Another thought:
What if the headsplitter isn't actually some sort of Tobak predator thing, but is actually these guys? If victims either never saw their attackers or never escaped if they did, rumors could start to spread.
>>
No. 1044651 ID: 244451

"Ashley, be ready to escape if they attack. Don't move otherwise, we are surrounded and a false movement can end badly for everyone"
>>
No. 1044654 ID: 15c72a

>>1044625
These tobaks aren't being pinned, so they must be allied with the headsplitter. Too many for Ashley to fight, so unless there's a way of producing a flash to incapacitate the tribals, I think all you could do is radio for help, or... get Ashley to remove one of your horns and hope the tribals don't stop it? You'd still be pinned in that case though, wouldn't you?

You could also just ask Ashley to take the briefcase and run to the meeting spot.
>>
No. 1044656 ID: 5d9787

>>1044654
If they are under the influence of a headsplitter it's possible they would be affected when the creature is harmed or killed.
The blunderbuss is a plasma weapon with a battery stronger than it can handle. If she shot it every tobak watching will go blind.

To me the major risk in explaining any of that to her is the chance of those tribal actually understanding english.
>>
No. 1044658 ID: 084179

>>1044625
Pretty sure this is the predator that controls those nemuero whatever they're called aliens. How they got here, I don't know, but some mutant version of them is either controlling them, or these to tobaks have magnet control powers.
Try breaking off one of your horns.
>>
No. 1044672 ID: 15a025

Tail sign for peace?
>>
No. 1044680 ID: f89136

They're probably bred for that appearance to recognize the splitters in group. They're surprisingly lax. Though it could be because you're both thoroughly at their mercy. Hopefully they're more reasonable than theyd been made to seem?
>>
No. 1044704 ID: 36db0e
File 166413396780.png - (326.90KB , 800x600 , TQ90.png )
1044704

>What if these guys are a genetically engineered hybrid form of Tobak that not only can sense electromagnetic fields, but also can generate their own?
That's... not entire implausible. If mossy tobaks or glass tobaks can exist, I don't see how magnetic tobaks couldn't be a thing. Magnets are basically magic to me, and I’m sure that a tobak would never abuse magic powers. Never.

>They're surprisingly lax. Though it could be because you're both thoroughly at their mercy. Hopefully they're more reasonable than they’d been made to seem?
I can only hope...

>If your tails can still move, try signalling something. "HELP", "FRIENDLY" or "INCOMING BEAST" maybe?
I communicate a series of different tail signals to see if I can get a response, but they all just blankly stare at me. I try again and the one crouching down at me simply responds with

'SHUT UP. ANNOYING.'

Tribals are rude...
This confirms that they aren’t looking to be our friends. I almost ask Bry to try tail signalling, but I stop myself just in time to realize why that wouldn't work...

What’s the tail sign for ‘turn around’?
A jerk to the left for the middle and left tails, a circular lift and drop of the right tail. I do this to see to see what happens and a couple of the tribals look behind them. They look back at me, annoyed.

>All of them are wearing pants and they don't seem like the sort of tribal that does a lot of trade.
That does strike me as a bit odd. Some seem to be fully clothed, though not the biggest fans of doing laundry. Where did they get them? Have wild tobaks finally figured out the concept of theft?!

>Also, very different features, none of them have similar shapes of ears, eyes, and horns. Not sure how this work for tobaks but that look like a sign they are not as closely related as I would expect an isolated tribe to be.
That's... a good point. Isolated tribes tend not to have such a wild variety of physical features. The only explanation I can think of is that these mutants must come from multiple tribes of wild tobaks... which raises more questions.

I hear the sound of the bike being dropped to the ground. While I can't see what's happening, I can hear groups of the mutated tobaks picking things up and trying to take apart the bike. They seem to ignore Ashley for the most part.

>Ashley, pick up the plasma blunderbuss
"Ashley, think you can fetch the plasma blunderbuss?"
>"What's a blunderbuss?"
"It's like a shotgun. I'd get it myself, but I'm a little pinned at the moment."
>"Ok - um... let me have a look."
She walks off behind me to the stuff and comes back after a bit with the scattergun.
>"Is this it? I can't tell, my eyesight isn't great."
"Yep, that's it. Think you can use that when the headsplitter appears? You'll only have one shot."
>"I-I'm not sure. C-can't I give it to you or Bry?"
"I could do it, but I can't see much from down here. Bry won't use it, he's against harming others, and I respect that."
>"Oh... ok... How do you shoot it?"
"You pull the trigger. Be sure to turn off the safety first."
>"The safety? Where's that?"
"It is a grey button on the left side of the handle. Push it in. Be sure to warn me and Bry to close our eyes before firing so we don't get blinded. The flash should hopefully be enough to blind all the tribals and give us a chance to escape."
>"Ok... Which end does the plasma come out of?"
"Uh..."
>"A-and what if I miss... Will I just end up making it angry? What if it hurts you then? I-I don't want you getting hurt! You and Bry are all I have! I don't want to be alon-"
"It's Ok Ashley. Everything will be ok. If they attack, I want you to focus on escaping, ok?"
She starts to whimper. I hate to do this to her.

I could... Go for the nuclear option and ask for Ashley to shoot my horns off. The overcharged shot should be enough to take out both of them, and the surrounding tobaks would get blinded by the blast. I’d grab the pistol and go from there. My hands aren't magnetic enough to be tampered with, so that wouldn't stop the plan from working but... I do kind of like my horns.

In the corner of my eye, I notice one of the tribals starting to walk away with the suitcase. I need to think of something quick.
>>
No. 1044705 ID: 36db0e
File 166413400238.png - (331.65KB , 800x600 , TQ91.png )
1044705

"Check it out Coil, I see something approaching from the left. I think it might be our culprit."
I look over and lo and behold, I can just barely make out what fits the description of our headsplitter.

It dwarfs the tobak standing next to it, only reaching the top of its hip. It must be 8 ft tall at the very least, with a tail so long I can't even see all of it. The markings on its body seem to match the mutated tobaks almost identically. I can't seem to see its head because of how low I am to the ground, but I can see many of its horns and various magnetic appendages.

I can see it starting to approach, slowly and cautiously. I can't hear clearly, but I swear I can see it trying to remotely communicate. Is it trying to talk through magnets? Is such a thing possible? Probably not, but now isn't the time to be questioning what's really possible. These creatures have been poorly understood even far back as before the uplift.
>>
No. 1044706 ID: a7a180

Well you're not a scientist, so it's time to leave those questions unanswered. If you can pop some shots off, aim for the tobaks' horns and see if that shakes them loose from headsplitter control.
>>
No. 1044708 ID: a2d88b

I'm becoming less and less sure these are mutated. Perhaps they're actually hybrids.
And if that's the case, shooting their horns off is only going to piss them off. The creature needs to mind-control preys, but not its own progeny.
>>
No. 1044711 ID: 7ec91f

You know, Ashley could shoot your horns and the headsplitter at the same time. She just need to prop the end of the barrel on your head. And maybe it will help her keep it steady, at least if you don't shake too much.
>>
No. 1044712 ID: f3a2ce

If it can cause your horns to vibrate precisely it can communicate through a process called bone conduction, and if it can understand it, I think that might be a way out. If it's reasonable at least. It does NOT want what will come for that suitcase.

If it can't communicate. Just tell Ashley to be sure to aim for the head.
>>
No. 1044714 ID: fc1eab

>>1044705
...another new thought.
What if your headsplitters are a type of tobak and the big one is the female one.

Given how similar the smaller ones are to tobaks, I am starting to have my doubts that these things actually eat tobaks.
>>
No. 1044715 ID: fc1eab

>>1044714
ngl, part of what motivated this line of thinking was how the tall one has one hand/paw cover up its groin and generally you dont worry about that sort of thing if it is just some creature.
>>
No. 1044716 ID: 36784c

>>1044715
It's arms are just hanging there. It's not covering itself.
>>
No. 1044717 ID: fc1eab

>>1044716
Yes, the same way fig leaves just happen to strategically fall.

Regardless, my other points still stand.
>>
No. 1044719 ID: f3a2ce

>>1044708
Oh my God that's a super fucked up theory and also probably true. That would also mean the sex of this creature may determine what interest it'll have in the boys remaining alive. Unless it's both.
>>
No. 1044721 ID: 15c72a

>>1044704
Is that one taking the briefcase? That's not okay.

>>1044705
It's trying to... talk? What? That doesn't match the stories. And it has the same fur pattern as the tribals... is the headsplitter a mutant tobak!? Or this tobak tribe has an extreme mutation that only affects females, and ALL female tobaks of the tribe are "headsplitters"... That would mean that individual headsplitters have vastly different motivations and methods. Okay, tell Ashley "Don't shoot yet."

Signal that you don't understand. Tell them you want to negotiate. You need to keep the vehicle and the briefcase, at minimum. In exchange, you can... offer use of your Company connections?
>>
No. 1044725 ID: 084179

>>1044625
u-unf. The thighs on the guy on the right is really doing it for me.

>>1044705
Hey Ashley, see the big guy? Get close and shoot him. That should free us.

>>1044706
The blunderbuss only has 1 good shot, so even if we free one tobak, that still leave the others to attack us or Ashley.

>>1044708
So shoot to kill the big guy?

>>1044712
Are you certain that this thing will let us go free, instead of simply enslaving us like it did the others? I have my doubts.
>>
No. 1044736 ID: 5d9787

I much I would like to talk us out of this problem, the absence of information indicate no one ever survived an encounter with them. Even if it's possible from their point of view they have all the leverage in the negotiation.

We could have be killed by the tribal, or when the bike lifted or at any moment after the heads pined against the floor begin. They want to keep us alive for some reason.
If communication is established the most pertinent question is: What do they want?

>I could... Go for the nuclear option and ask for Ashley to shoot my horns off.
A blast so close to the top of your head... I don't like that.
Let's go with the other plan. Ashley, do the thing!
>>
No. 1044737 ID: f89136

>>1044725
Like I said. If it's reasonable. Noone will come looking for coil, people may come looking for Bry, and entire armies will come looking for that suitcase. And if a company finds out that there's a splitter is here they'll be chomping at the bit to disect every inch of it.

It's a bit of a bluff to be sure. As with that information there'd be nothing stopping it from dropping the case and taking the boys. But it was just an idea for a nonconfrontational way out.
>>
No. 1044797 ID: a2d88b

>>1044725
What do you think the tribals will do if we shoot the big one and it turns out to be their mom/dad? I think if it's trying to talk, let's talk.
>>
No. 1044877 ID: 084179

>>1044705
>thighs
>ass
It should be illegal to carry around that much cake. I hope it's a lady.
>>
No. 1044879 ID: f3a2ce

>>1044877
>Horns
He's not.
>>
No. 1044932 ID: c28082

>>1044705

... hang on a sec, they match pretty much exactly.

I think these tobaks are its KIDS. That is something to think about (by which I mean try not to think about the logistics of hybridization with something that makes your girls look puny).
>>
No. 1044937 ID: 1224af

Try to communicate back, I guess?
>>
No. 1044997 ID: 708905

>>1044879
You assume it's the same as with a Tobak
>>
No. 1045055 ID: 084179

>>1039547
>>1044704
Hold on. That blue uniform wearing tobak is wearing a the same colors as those dead to baks we say. He must be the same dude who broke off his horn.

It looks like not even breaking off your horn(s) will help, not unless the creature is gone.
>>
No. 1045056 ID: 36db0e
File 166449381990.png - (354.36KB , 800x600 , TQ92.png )
1045056

>What if your headsplitters are a type of tobak and the big one is the female one.
It's... not impossible to imagine? It's hard to imagine they are related to tobaks judging by their extra limbs and lack of long floppy ears. I've heard the theory that they are really distant relatives of tobaks, but I really don’t want to believe it.

>I think these tobaks are its KIDS
WHAT?! N-no! I mean, I can get that they might see them like that, but I don't think these tobaks are biological offspring to this headsplitter! If that were really the case... I have a lot I need to not think about.

I ask Ashley to try to take out the headsplitter with the scattergun. It's the only thing I can really ask to do short of shooting it myself or asking her to blow my horns off.

She slowly and hesitantly wanders forward to decrease the distance between her and the target. She's having trouble finding it on account of her inability to properly see her surroundings. She is nervously sniffing the air, getting warmer and warmer. Unfortunately, the headsplitter sees her first.

It sees the scattergun, and it seems to recognize what it is. I see it extend its magnetic claws to try and pull the gun, but it looks as though the material isn't magnetic enough. After a moment, the headsplitter uses its magnetic manipulation to pick up a couple nearby tobaks from its herd and sends them flying towards Ashley.

They both land on her and cause her to fall over. Ashley lays on the ground disoriented while pinned beneath the two tobaks looking as though they aren't too happy about being thrown around.

>"D-did I mess up?... I'm so sorry..."
"It's ok darling, you did your best."
"It's ok." I try to assure her, even though that was really the only chance I think we had.
>"I'm... sorry..."
>>
No. 1045057 ID: 36db0e
File 166449383129.png - (255.92KB , 800x600 , TQ93.png )
1045057

I feel a forceful, almost painful tug in my horns as I am steadily lifted upwards. I feel a pull from multiple directions, but the strongest pull is where I am drawn. The headsplitter holds me up close and examines me. I grasp my hands around my horns and kick my legs. Despite my protests, it keeps me right where it wants me.

I am now looking right at it, and I have a clear view of what this thing looks like now. It has a pattern of seven spots on its head just as it does on its arms and legs. It has two pairs of horns of the sides of its head, and one horn coming out from the front of its head.

>"Lyto."

>"Et."

>"Ektaryet."

IT CAN SPEAK!
Granted I don't understand a word of what it just said, but the fact it can speak at all means it must be intelligent to some degree.

I look deep into its eyes. I am face to face with my natural enemy. evolved for millions of years to be a predator against my species, it is now clear to me that trying to communicate any kind of peace or bargaining will not work. All that is certain right now is that this thing has no intention of letting me go free for the time being.

But... what does it want from me? I feel like it asked me something.
>>
No. 1045060 ID: a7a180

Get your stinking magnets off me, you damn dirty cougar!
>>
No. 1045061 ID: cee25c

I guess saying "I don't speak that language" and "what do you want?" while signalling exactly that with your tails would be the only choice now.

That and looking for anything that might be marginally useful around the headsplitter.
Maybe, just maybe, there is still a chance for us.
>>
No. 1045062 ID: e7c7d3

Universal greeting!
"Ba weep granna weep ninny bong"
Offer it some energon if you can
>>
No. 1045063 ID: dee951

>>1045062

No no no! The correct response is CLEARY, "Klaatu Barada Nikto"!
>>
No. 1045064 ID: 6e6730

I bet it knows tail signs! Start throwing those signs you gave the tribals earlier.
>>
No. 1045065 ID: ff5b3c

tell her you don’t know her language, both verbally and with tail signs

also try to convey you felt threatened by being surrounded by other tobaks and a large, imposing maybe-tobak who can control others through their horns and felt compelled to defend yourselves
>>
No. 1045066 ID: ff5b3c

also, do any of the tobaks from earlier look… familiar at all? do any of them have only one horn?
>>
No. 1045067 ID: 15c72a

>>1045057
That definitely looks like a mutated tobak to me.
Tail-signal to the tribals that you don't understand, ask for a translator.
>>
No. 1045071 ID: b1e10c

Can you use your tails? If not, can the tobacco under its command talk normally? We have to find a way to communicate with them.
>>
No. 1045074 ID: fc1eab

>>1045057
>natural enemy
>evolved to be your perfect predator
Tbh, those are some very bold assumptions given how much myth and how little real knowledge there is regarding the headsplitters.
Probably shouldn't assume it is going to eat you. It clearly isn't trying to kill you since with the strength and precision it can manipulate magnetic fields, it could have totally ripped your heads off. Also probably could have electrocuted Ashley.
>>
No. 1045075 ID: fc1eab

>>1045065
Can it really control tobaks with magnetism though? I mean, how would that work even? Also wouldn't it be able to communicate 'telepathically' if that were the case?
>>
No. 1045076 ID: a67ad9

>>1045057
Maybe it asked you your name? Nah, seems silly if it is indeed a predator of your kind. Then... maybe it was a choice? Like “Death. Or. Enslavement.”

Judging by those other guys the not-death option seems viable, but you won’t all be there any longer. Still, better than nothing. Respond with the longer option - Ektaryet.

If you have time, share your presumption with Bry, whatever happens to him can be informed by what happens to you, at least.

... and say, what’s up with those eyes? And could it have anything to do with yours? Flip away your bangs, let it - her - see them, perhaps it’ll be distracted for a bit longer. Nothin’ to lose, right?
>>
No. 1045077 ID: a67ad9

>>1045076
Hum. Also, you still have your backpack on you and your arms are apparently free. Anything in there you can show to distract her? Or just fling in her snoot or ding one of her many horns as a last-ditch measure.

Considering the amount of people hunting you and possibly stumbling over this scene, stretching out what time you can might be to your benefit.
>>
No. 1045098 ID: 5d9787

Can you make tail signals to say you don't understand this language and need an interpreter? You could even ask if it speak english, just in case.
Whatever is going on this headsplitter seem to want something that require your cooperation, otherwise it would have no reason to say anything to you.

The hybrid theory is an efficient explanation for this situation. Since those tobaks are not too common they may be infertile like mules. In case this headsplitter is female she might want to mate with you before killing you.

The other theory is that the headsplitter is capable of turning you into one of those minions. If that is the case it's not clear why none of them can speak english but they know tail language. I mean, they either should retain their memories or have those erased in the process, right? Unless it erase the memories and program new ones.
It's a less elegant theory than the hybrid one.
>>
No. 1045099 ID: a2d88b

>>1045061
This, I guess.

>>1045056
This gives credence to them NOT being offspring. But that means, something that can so thoroughly modify a fully-grown Tobak is a lot more terrifying than any thought about hybridization.
>>
No. 1045101 ID: 3cb68d

Distract the headsplitter with your eyes! Tell Bry to use the "the word" strategy!
>>
No. 1045102 ID: 30a316

>>1045061
Wait, now that I think about it, let's talk to that tobak with the ragged uniform over there!
He probably can understand us and translate for us.

And do ask him how life under the headsplitter's been treating him.
>>
No. 1045108 ID: aa2b00

Try to communicate with signs. Point to you and say "Coil", that kind of things. If it met other tobaks before it might know a couple simple words, try "friend" because you really want it to be friendly right now.
>>
No. 1045120 ID: 8bb602

What's up with the anatomy of that headsplitter? For something with six limbs it has no muscle mass. Two of the arms look limp and useless.
>>
No. 1045127 ID: c28082

>>1045057

Try signalling of other tobaks to see if they can act as translators? But also while speaking out loud?

Either way, if it's willing to be peaceful about this, we might as well go along and see if we can handle things calmly.
>>
No. 1045135 ID: 084179

>>1045057
Hey she kinda cute. Try flirting, or going for a kiss?

>imagine those thicc thighs crushing your skull
>>
No. 1045136 ID: 084179

>>1045057
WAIT!
I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA!
We still have a candy bar! bribe it with rocking tasting food.
>>
No. 1045138 ID: e5709d

>>1045136
I had the bestest idea standing on your best idea's shoulders.
Put it in your mouth and get her to kiss it out of there.
>>
No. 1045140 ID: 708905

>>1045057
Try talking back. It probably won't work but shouldn't hurt to try
>>
No. 1045149 ID: 398700

>>1045057
see if you can pantomime confusion, maybe ask for a drawing implement or something?
>>
No. 1045157 ID: b01382

>>1045138
Hot. Ha ha ha imagine how funny it would be if it went for a kiss ha ha. Y-yeah, its ne a laugh.
>>
No. 1045170 ID: 084179

So how many of you want to be this is Coil's new GF?
>tall? check
>pretty cool? check.
>not instantly repulsed by his habits and attitude, and lack of etiquette? check
>looks pretty soft and huggable? check
it all checks out lads.
>>
No. 1045172 ID: 36784c

>>1045170
>So how many of you want to be this is Coil's new GF?
We should focus on retrieving that briefcase and not dying before we think about anything like that.

>not instantly repulsed by his habits and attitude, and lack of etiquette?
They literally met a few minutes ago. He/she/they haven’t had a chance to see anything about Coil to decide if he's likable or not.
>>
No. 1045218 ID: 708905

>>1045170
We still don't know if it's male or female
>>
No. 1045222 ID: 15a025

Try to see if it can understand tail signs itself?
>>
No. 1045230 ID: 084179

>>1045218
Females have really long tales don't they? Plus look at those thighs. I mean damn dude look at all that dough.
>>
No. 1045327 ID: 36db0e
File 166479121347.png - (255.08KB , 800x600 , TQ94.png )
1045327

>Universal greeting
I'm rusty on my universal greeting. Let's see.
"Ba weep granna weep ninny bong...?"
>"..."
"Klaatu... Barada... Nikto?"
>"..."

It exhales through its nostrils, briefly blowing my hair out of position. It was worth a shot. I try using human words and phrases to similar results.

>bribe it with food.
Oh right! I still have a candy bar. I bring it out as an offering. The headsplitter looks down at it, and back up at me. Really? Nothing? You don't want it? Not even a little bit? Ok fine. More for me.

>GF material
>tall? check
>pretty cool? check.
>not instantly repulsed by his habits and attitude, and lack of etiquette? check
>looks pretty soft and huggable? check
I...
>We still don't know if it's male or female
Yeah, I mean... There's no way for me to tell. Unless...
"Hey Bry, is this a dude or a lady."
"The one you're looking at? That one's a guy."
"Ah. Wait - what do you mean the one I'm looking at? "


>what’s up with those eyes? And could it have anything to do with yours? Flip away your bangs, let it - her - see them, perhaps it’ll be distracted for a bit longer. Nothin’ to lose, right?
I am not showing a single living thing my eyes until the day I die.

>maybe it was a choice? Like "Death. Or. Enslavement."
That could be possible. Enslavement certainly seems to be the preferable option.

Given the circumstances, I'm willing to go for anything at this point - so I answer with the latter, hoping it to be the lesser of two evils.

"Ektaryet."

It shifts its head to its side, then turns to look somewhere upwards and behind me. It looks back down to me.

>"Ektaryet."

"Alright Bry, I think I just asked it to enslave me. Whatever happens to me next, keep it in mind when making your own choi-"

I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my neck. What the hell is that? I put my arms up to try to pull it out, but they fall back down.

What's... happening?

I'm... getting really tired all of a sudden.
>>
No. 1045328 ID: 36db0e
File 166479123970.png - (210.10KB , 800x600 , TQ95.png )
1045328

I'm lowered down to my knees, and I collapse forwards onto the soft, soft grass...

"Coil! Are you alright?! Coil? COIL!"

Just... five more minutes, Bry...
>>
No. 1045329 ID: 36db0e
File 166479130216.png - (2.71KB , 800x600 , TQ96.png )
1045329

"Rise and shine Cordi! You boys need to go to work soon!"

"Don't call me that. You know I don't like that name."

"You don't like the name I gave you? It's such a lovely name!"

"I know what it means. I don't think it's funny."

"Why are you putting on goggles? We aren't near any lit areas."
>"Ahahaha! He's trying to hide something!"
>"C'mere! Let me get a closer look at those!"

"H-hey! Give those back!"

>"Awwww look, he's shy! Look at us Cordi! We wanna take a look!"

"Stop calling me that! I want to be called Coil instead."

>"Coil? Nah, it doesn't have as good a ring to it. I vote to keep Cordi."
>"Or better yet, we change it to something better! How about Cupid?"
>"Why aren't you looking at us? What's the matter? Can't stand looking at family? You never make eye contact with anyone, it's really awkward."
>"We should take a picture with the new camera! That way it'll last longer. This camera doesn't work in the dark, so we'll need to close our eyes for the flash. Hold still Cordi!"

"Get away from me! Why won't you guys just leave me alone!"

>"Don't be selfish. We just want one picture."
>"Yeah dude, what's the big deal? One picture and it's done."
>"Put a little trust in us, we're family - good luck finding anyone who'll watch your back more than we do."

"MOM! MAKE THEM STOP!"

"Your brothers just want one photo. Why can't you let them take just one? It would be nice."

"THEY'LL BLIND ME! HEY - STOP! STOP!"

>"Don't be such a cry-baby Cordi, They grow back."
>"Yeah, being blind for a couple weeks isn't as bad as you're making it out to be."
>"We only need to do this once. Assuming you don't mess it up and cause it to go all blurry."
>"Dude, are you crying? It's gonna ruin the photo. Cut it out."

"LET GO OF ME! I'M SERIOUS! I-I DON'T WANT THIS!"

>"Say Cheeeeeese!"

*CLICK*
>>
No. 1045330 ID: 36db0e
File 166479133774.png - (267.67KB , 800x600 , TQ97.png )
1045330

"Please... Leave me alone... I just want to be left alone..."

...

I start to fade back into consciousness. I'm laying uncomfortably - on something hard. What is this material? It feels unfamiliar.

It's taking a little bit, but things are starting to fade back in. The pain in my neck is no longer present, but it feels a little sore where it used to be.

There are no lights, but I feel a cool breeze flowing through into the room. My horns are picking up several tobaks nearby.

The material of this table... Is this... Wood?

I smell something - something subtle. It smells... Sweet.

These clothes... They aren't the clothes I was wearing. These pants and shirt are noticeably dirty and have holes in them. I also have a tie. I don't even know how to tie a tie.
>>
No. 1045331 ID: 36db0e
File 166479136035.png - (392.10KB , 800x600 , TQ98.png )
1045331

I've eventually come back to my senses enough to start looking around, becoming more aware of my surroundings. Where in the world am I? It looks like some kind of kitchen. A very dirty kitchen. Am I even still near the wind tunnels?

Looking more around the room I'm in, something that strikes me as odd is all the wood - a very uncommon material to see used in construction projects on Saxum. What's even more unusual is the proportions of the room, everything looks... tobak sized.

I don't see Bry or Ashley, or any sign that they were here. I hope they are alright.

What's that on the table? It looks like some kind of orange cube. I have no idea what it is.
>>
No. 1045332 ID: 15c72a

>>1045331
You're obviously supposed to do something with the cube, so get to work. Examine it like a puzzle box.
>>
No. 1045333 ID: a2d88b

I don't think you're actually conscious of your surrounding here. Probably, after tranqing you, they dosed you with some hallucinogen (or worse, hooked you to some kind of simulator machine).

Try to move. Get up, change the orientation of your head a lot, see if gravity matches. Take cube and walk into another room.
>>
No. 1045334 ID: 8301bd

Ha! Knew it. Heart-shaped.

To be honest, now that you are un a genuinely adult working enviroment, you REALLY missed some golden oportunities to pull the practical joke of saying "humuna humuna" and then showing your peepers whenever a pretty lady showed up. They would have found it endearing.

Maybe even alluring.


Aaaanyway, this must be an old abandoned tobak living quarters from early colonization days. The headsplitters must have taken it as their base of operations.

Let's explore a bit of the environ and try to see if any of the converted tobaks can understand us.
>>
No. 1045335 ID: 5d9787

If this is an hallucination nothing really matter so let's act assuming it's real.

First of, what alien species you know of that have generally similar proportions to male tobaks? This must be some form of mobile domicile and it's likely have being brought to offer relative comfort for some company employer considered important enough to earn such effort.
Why is it untidy but not looted? This must either be abandoned somewhere scavengers can't reach or be currently in possession of a group that don't care to clean the place. Likely the second option.

So what have you being doing during your lost time? It's possible you were simply unconscious and were dressed by others and put here, but that is a lot of actions that don't seem to have a clear motive behind them. The alternative is that you've being acting, probably under the influence of something, and now returned to a consciente state.
You have to figure out if there are disadvantages to your current state to be know by your captors and what you have to do to pretend to still be on your previous state of mind.

Find some improvised weapons. Ceramic and glass could be good cutting tools imune to magnetic manipulation. Breaking them will make noise so unless those shards are already lose just pick the mug and wait to break it for the time you decide to use it.

Lastly the cube is here for a reason. What can you tell about it?
>>
No. 1045341 ID: 708905

>>1045331
Well this is some next level what the fuckery. Time for an inventory and surroundings check, is this an actual kitchen or something like a movie set, I'm not sure which would be weirder at this point.
>>
No. 1045344 ID: dee951

Ah! You know this!

This is 'Waking up in a surreally banal environment after living a life of adventure' 101!

Okay okay. You've seen tons of variations of this story. The trick is, you have to decide right now that you are the kind of person who can function reasonably well in whatever environment or reality you seem to find yourself in. You ALSO need to decide that, if either this or the other reality is the 'base' or 'real' reality, that you aren't going to freak out unduly for that fact, or even if there isn't any 'base' reality. You also ALSO value the importance of keeping your eyes open for clues in how to transition from one sort of reality to the next, and in solving puzzles and meaning in your environment, and in figuring out the motivations and methods of what (if any) intelligence is fucking with you.
>>
No. 1045347 ID: 30b9f6

Well, you at least seem to be alive and sane for now. Not bad for a first encounter with a mythical headsplitter! And shrug those awful childhood memories away, they don't need to define you any more than your eyes do.

First things first - you've got a mystery on your hand, seemingly laid out before you.

Study (and smell) the cube. Is that the source of the sweet smell? Poke it with a finger, see if you can make sense of what it's made of. If it seems like food, maybe have the barest of nibbles if you're feeling brave, but resist any impulse to chow down unless you for sure have figured out what this is. For now, at least!

Though huh... it does kind of seem like you've landed in someone's poorly understood idea of a sitcom-y breakfast situation, don't it?

Well, leave it be after your investigations, unless you figure out something interesting. You've got another mystery - your surroundings! - to investigate. There are fridges, shelves and such to poke through (heck, your clothes too, for that matter, if they have pockets!). And there's those other Tobaks you sensed, one of whom might be Bry, hopefully.
>>
No. 1045348 ID: 30b9f6

Also, the abundance of wood in his building might mean you've been brought upwards a bit, closer to the surface above. Or that whoever built this place was rich enough to furnish with import luxuries.

Are there any aliens who are roughly Tobak-sized whom this place could've originally been for?
>>
No. 1045350 ID: 73f4b0

Poke the cube. Shake the cube. Taste the cube.
If it seems harmless enough take the cube.
Then try rummaging in the cupboards, see if anything is out of place in a somewhat normal kitchen.
>>
No. 1045352 ID: 73f4b0

>>1045347
If this is someone's idea of a sitcom maybe the cube is canned laughter ?
>>
No. 1045354 ID: 08b944

Ok, now I'm imagining this is a terrible enforced sitcom and Bry is gonna walk in wearing a dress, and Ashley is gonna be late for school, or somesuch
>>
No. 1045356 ID: 30b9f6

>>1045354
"Dads! I really need to go now!" "But you haven't even had your honeyed breakfast cube yet! I worked so hard thinking outside the box for this meal!" (sect audience holds up cue cards titled 'LAUGHTER')
>>
No. 1045359 ID: fc1eab

>>1045331
...what if...
This headsplitter group has somehow created a cargo cult centered around tv shows?
>>
No. 1045360 ID: fc1eab

>>1045333
I... dont think that is actually the case. Look at how worn out things are. Look at how worn out Coil's new clothes are. If it was a hallucination, you generally wouldn't hallucinate such details, or they would be very exaggerated.
>>
No. 1045361 ID: fc1eab

>>1045331
>Wood
Look closer. It could be vinyl made to look like wood.
>>
No. 1045365 ID: 180c83

>>1045331
At least now you know you look good in business casual.
>>
No. 1045368 ID: 7c0da2

Maybe they tried to put you in an environment you would feel comfortable in... But have no idea what it's supposed to look like.
>>
No. 1045371 ID: c28082

>>1045331

I don't want to set the wooooorld ooooon fiiiiiirrreeeee~

Dismissing the possibility of the most lucid hallucinations / dreams / lingering drug effects, give yourself a proper once-over and assess what looks like the most retro kitchen known to Tobak-kind.

Maybe some old abandoned company breakroom?

Also: check for screen-face in whatever reflective surface you can find (water from the sink counts).
>>
No. 1045382 ID: 36db0e
File 166483151411.png - (325.55KB , 800x600 , TQ99.png )
1045382

>Try to move. Get up, change the orientation of your head a lot, see if gravity matches.
I stand up and walk around to see anything is amiss... but nothing seems out of the ordinary. If this is some kind of simulation, it is really convincing. For the most part though, I think I am in reality.

>this must be an old abandoned tobak living quarters from early colonization days. The headsplitters must have taken it as their base of operations.
That seems to make sense so far. I didn't know anyone was building colonies for tobaks down here... if that's true, I'm wondering what the purpose was and why they abandoned it.

>At least now you know you look good in business casual.
I'm no pencil pusher! I prefer leather jackets, rock band shirts and ripped jeans! But yeah I do kinda look good in this...

>what alien species you know of that have generally similar proportions to male tobaks?
I know that neumono can come in pretty small sizes, but they also come in much bigger ones. Do Rin-Reida count as aliens? I get the feeling they don't come from here, not being able to see in the dark and all.

>Examine surroundings.
I look in the fridge but it's completely empty except for inedible ice trays. The cabinets have regular kitchen stuff but no food.

>Why is it untidy but not looted?
The owners must not be big on cleaning. As for unlooted? It's hard to tell. Most of the drawers are full of plates, cups, and the usual kitchen equipment with the noticeable absence of any metal cutlery or utensils.

>the abundance of wood in this building might mean you've been brought upwards a bit, closer to the surface above. Or that whoever built this place was rich enough to furnish with import luxuries.
I'm really hoping it's the latter. I don't want to find out that I'm far away from where I need to be right now, that would really add insult to injury.

>So, what have you been doing during your lost time?
Someone took my clothes and put new ones on me, that seems certain. It doesn't really explain any sort of motive though. I seem to be uninjured and not dirty, so whoever was in charge of my unconscious body was careful with it at least.

>Find some improvised weapons
I can't find anything that would be very effective besides broken glass and ceramic. It's better than nothing though.

>inventory and surroundings check, is this an actual kitchen or something like a movie set
I don’t have anything in my pockets. This place seems like a normal kitchen or break room to me. Well... there is one massive hole on one of the walls, but no cameras looking through it. My vision is a little blurry right now and I can't see what's through the hole, or how big the hole is. It seems to go outside though.

>If this is someone's idea of a sitcom maybe the cube is canned laughter?
A sitcom? This is no comedic situation! Unless Bry walked in wearing a dress and Ashley was late for school. I've been waiting but neither has happened yet.

>Maybe they tried to put you in an environment you would feel comfortable in... But have no idea what it's supposed to look like.
Who? The headsplitter? That sounds awfully considerate for a wild animal that wants to enslave me!

My gaze wanders over to the cube.
>Examine it like a puzzle box.
I pick it up and examine it carefully. It doesn’t weigh much so it must not be very dense. Is it like... A rubik’s cube or something? I try to twist it, but it doesn't seem to move in that way. I shake it but there doesn't seem to be any rattling. hmmm.

>Study (and smell) the cube. Is that the source of the sweet smell?
I sniff it and... yeah. It smells sweet like cake.
>Poke it with a finger, see if you can make sense of what it's made of
It's soft and squishy, but it doesn't crumble. Its surface is smooth and lacks bumps, so I doubt it's cake. Just from looking at it, I can tell that it's moist. For all intents and purposes, it seems like edible food.

I'm... actually quite hungry. How long was I asleep for? I try looking for my candy bar, but it seems that it must be where my jumpsuit is. I'm sceptical, but I wonder if I should partake in this not-cake.
>>
No. 1045383 ID: a2d88b

Don't eat yet, but see if you can tear a bit off it.

Also, blurry sight? Not normal. Or like, are you still feeling lingering effects from the tranq?
>>
No. 1045385 ID: 244451

I wouldn't eat it until more info is present. It seems like the headsplitters want to feed you, but you still don't know it's intentions.
>>
No. 1045386 ID: 1aeac2

You're in a kitchen, you should prepare this squishy cube like a proper meal. Just heat it up over the oven for a little while and split it up into cubecakes.
>>
No. 1045388 ID: 90c451

>>1045382
A sweet squish substance? Maybe it's some sort of wax or honey made by the sect. Don't eat it but maybe ask Ashley about it later. Or, wait, sect lose their memories don't they?

Either way, don't immediately exit out the vague hole, try opening some doors and check the other rooms and see if there's an exit.
>>
No. 1045390 ID: 084179

>>1045382
I'm calling you out right now: Coil has sexy eyes, that's why he hides them.
Go out the big hole in the wall to investigate. Keep just one eye open in case there's a bright light. Wouldn't want to get both eyes petrified and be blind in both eyes.

>>1045388
This. If this was made from sect wax it's best not to eat it. There's only so much of the stuff available, and this is all Ashley's ever gonna get. Poor girl.
>>
No. 1045393 ID: 014733

Keep exploring, there has to be something else here that can tell you where you are.
>>
No. 1045394 ID: a9af05

>>1045382
Oh shit. You don't have your goggles, do you? You're going to have to be extra careful to not get blinded!
>>
No. 1045396 ID: fc1eab

>>1045382
>wants to enslave you
...does it want to enslave you? Honestly we have been coming to our own conclusions here, and while that one may be likely, that is certainly not the only possibility. It is quite possible that the true intentions of our captors may be entirely different from anything that has been suggested so far.

Not that we have any way of knowing what that is though.
>>
No. 1045400 ID: dee951

Do you have running water? Both hot and cold? Does the running water smell any? Does the range or oven work? Does the refrigeration unit work? Are there filters?

Can you boil water, let it cool, and drink that, maybe also filter it through cheesecloth or something??
>>
No. 1045404 ID: dee951

Oh! Are there the various sorts of chemical cleaning supplies that are often found in kitchens?? If so, which?
>>
No. 1045405 ID: 084179

>>1045382
How good are you with chemistry? Do you know how to make mustard gas? See if any of the cleaning supplies will let you make the stuff, but don't make it just yet.
>>
No. 1045412 ID: dee951

Can you get some sort of bludgeon more durable than just some plates? A table or chair leg, or a removed cabinet door, or something? Also, are there any tools or anything available? Also what material is the 'wood' made out of?
>>
No. 1045413 ID: fec07f

>>1045382
Considering that the headsplitter was accompanied by what appeared to be mutated tobaks I would refrain from eating mysterious cubes which kinda match their colour scheme.
>>
No. 1045416 ID: 88a5be

>>1045382
If anything here is gonna mutate you it might be whatever kibble they feed you. But starving yourself won’t bring about good results in the long run either - they’ll either start force feeding you (and they had that option while you were unconscious...) or might take other steps like, uh, going back to thar other option of probable death. It may behoove you to play along to an extent - take a nibble or at least make it look like you’ve had a bite for now.

Eventually you’ll have to chow down if you keep on living here, if not someone comes to your rescue, of course.

On the up side, maybe a color scheme change will change the shape of your eyes!
>>
No. 1045417 ID: 15c72a

>>1045382
>eat the cube?
Hmm, could be some kind of addictive substance, to force you to rely on the headsplitter.
Search around for something that seems a bit more normal.
>>
No. 1045421 ID: f3a2ce

Maybe focus your horns to try and find an electrical signal nearby be it tobak or equipment? Orienting yourself is most important. Look out the hole, check out the doors.
>>
No. 1045422 ID: dcead9

Put the cube on a plate and then go explore. If someone stops you you can always pretend you were looking for cutlery to eat it.
Throw something through the hole and listen for a sound then try any door you find.
>>
No. 1045462 ID: 084179

>>1045382
eat the cube. if they wanted to poison or force feed you anything, they would had done so already while you were alseep. it should be safe enough.
>>
No. 1045463 ID: c28082

>>1045382

Safety first: lick it to determine if it's actually safe.
>>
No. 1045470 ID: 36db0e
File 166494159168.png - (332.09KB , 800x600 , TQ100.png )
1045470

>are you still feeling lingering effects from the tranq?
I'm a little woozy, but I'm good for the most part.

>lick it to determine if it's actually safe.
That seems fairly harmless, compared to taking a bite anyway. I take a lick from the side and... It's not bad. It's kinda nice actually... it has a funky aftertaste. Just to be sure, I'll have to take a bite to get a definitive verdict. Or possibly more-
>could be some kind of addictive substance, to force you to rely on the headsplitter.
Oh. Yeah, maybe it isn't a great idea to get hooked on... whatever this is.

>It seems like the headsplitters want to feed you, but you still don't know it's intentions.
It would be best to gather more information. But if I had to guess, they're going to try and convert me into one of those mutant tobaks. If this is all the food I can find though, I'll have to eat it as opposed to outright starving.

>heat it up over the oven for a little while and split it up into cubecakes.
Sounds like a fun idea! unfortunately - it doesn't seem like the gas is on. Even if it was though, I don't have proper eye protection.

>Does the tap/oven/fridge work?
Nothing works except for the tap, though even that doesn't seem to change temperature. It tastes a little funny but it's not that bad. As for electricity, it seems non-existent, so the fridge is out. I look for a light switch but notice there are no lights installed... how considerate.

>Are there the various sorts of chemical cleaning supplies that are often found in kitchens?? If so, which?
I look under the sink, and to my surprise, there is a supply of cleaning chemicals. Experience tells me not to drink these.
>How good are you with chemistry? Do you know how to make mustard gas?
Ammonia and Bleach if I remember correctly. I could easily create the mixture, but I worry for my own safety.

>Can you get some sort of bludgeon more durable than just some plates? A table or chair leg, or a removed cabinet door, or something?
I could take of a table leg for a weapon now that I think about it. It may take some effort though.

>are there any tools or anything available?
None that I can find.

>what material is the 'wood' made out of?
Actual wood if the rot is of any indication.

>Search around for food that seems a bit more normal.
I look around the kitchen for something like canned food or a box of cereal, but I turn up empty. whatever was here, something must've gotten to it first.

>try opening some doors and check the other rooms and see if there's an exit.
I see a door and look outside of it. It seems to lead to a hallway that is unguarded. I smell something familiar... Bry's pipe! It must be coming from another room.

>Go out the big hole in the wall to investigate.
I can't 'go out' as much as I can peer out, seeing as there doesn't seem to be a floor for me to walk on over the side. I look over, and I can’t see the bottom. I catch sight of quite a few buildings, all of which are missing a wall. I see many mutated tobaks, all walking around and doing their own things. They all seem to be fully clothed... pretty strange for tribals.
>>
No. 1045471 ID: 36db0e
File 166494161723.png - (263.88KB , 800x600 , TQ101.png )
1045471

>Throw something through the hole and listen for a sound
I pick up a plate and drop it down. It takes about 4 or 5 seconds for me to hear it break. I'm not good at math but I think that means I'm pretty high up.

After I do this, I feel something approaching within the rage of my horns.

The headsplitter climbs up to meet me at eye level. I freak out and drop the cube on the ground. Something seems different about it this time…

>"EKTARYET!"

It takes me a moment to realize, but this one has a different number of spots on its head. This must be a different headsplitter.

>...does it want to enslave you?
I'm not sure... The only other thing I can think of is it wanting to own us as pets. Does being kept as a pet still count as enslavement? Owning a tobak sure is a huge responsibility.

It smiles at me and looks at me with curiosity.

"Hello?"

>"El lo?"

"Hi..."

>"I!"

I think it's just repeating what I try to say. It looks down at the cube and back up at me. It tilts its head.
>"Erosa?"
>>
No. 1045473 ID: 6e6730

Anything giving you a look like that wants one thing and one thing only:
REACH OUT AND PET IT.
>>
No. 1045476 ID: 43bc19

Does it understand tail language? If so, ask what it means by "Erosa". Also pray that it doesn't think you're trying to be rebellious.
>>
No. 1045477 ID: 08b944

Ummm...try more words? Inquire about cube? Do the whole pointing-at-each-other name exchange thing? You could also try shouting out the hole, asking if anybody speaks your language.
>>
No. 1045479 ID: fe8ffd

Erosa? Sure, whatever. Nod your head.
What are these spires? Are you deeper into the crystal biomes?
Pat the headsplitter, and see if it will let you climb aboard. Being in a giant dollhouse for the headsplitters isn't the worst fate but I wouldn't play along for too long.
>>
No. 1045482 ID: 15c72a

You really should find someone who can translate for you.
>>
No. 1045483 ID: b01382

>>1045471
Okay, looks like we're getting somewhere. Point to yourself and say Coil, Coil. Then point to the headspliter to see if we can get them to understand that we want to know their name. Some basic diplomacy.

Do what the other anon suggested and try tail language. Does it know where our friends are?
>>
No. 1045484 ID: 88a5be

Ektaryet may be something titular, or your new name/designation, given that it was shouted in greeting.

Erosa could be «not hungry», but we know too little to say for sure. If they need you to eat this thing you may want to take a nibble to show you’re compliant and then just indicate you’re not hungry. Starting a fight now seems like an even worse idea than earlier...

This must be this headsplitter’s tobaks’ living compartments, all the Tobaks here seem to have the same ear markings. So, you’ve likely become part of this one’s faction, or retinue.

This might be the female ‘splitter Bry mentioned. It was one of her ear-marked Tobaks that took the suitcase. Maybe she’s the more technically minded one.

Comms are hard, though. If only you had someone to translate... well, you could try pasientlister beginning to point at things and name them to see if she starts getting it.

Meh, if she’s friendly and curious, give her a show. Remove an arm and wave it at her, then put it back on. Might distract or impress if they haven’t seen that sort of cybernetics before.
>>
No. 1045485 ID: 6bfccf

Repeat "Erosa?" back at it. Be friendly, smile, make the tail signal for "friend". Pet it, why not, but only if it seems to let you do it. Those things have really big claws.
And try offering it the cube.
>>
No. 1045488 ID: 5d9787

Pick the cube and repeat "Erosa?" back. By the context it could be an expression of concern for scaring you, questioning if you don't like the food or a descriptive attribute to the cube.
Since you got his attention try to use tail signals as you speak their meaning in english. With some luck he will learn some english verbs and maybe even tell you their equivalents in his language.
This process will take a while, but if you manage to establish functional communication ask about your friends.
>>
No. 1045490 ID: f89136

It looks excited you're awake. That's odd. I wonder if they more keep tobaks as pets. Play with it a bit? Try and establish some kind of communication?

This worries me though that the mutation is the last stage of "domestication" and it's where you "and Bry if he's here" are headed if you don't get out of here. Makes me wonder what they did with Ashley. If she wasn't scared and alone before she certainly is now.
>>
No. 1045491 ID: f89136

>>1045490
I realize my question was answered
>>
No. 1045495 ID: fec07f

>>1045471
Crazy theory: Tobaks are like axolotls in that they're effectively an entire species stuck in a juvinile form. The 'headsplitters' are actually the fully adult form and this facility is where some old experiment to reawaken old Tobak genes succeded producing 'headsplitters'. The reason the Tobaks accompanying them are weirdly coloured is that the means to induce the change are still around and the colour signifies that they've begun to transition into the 'fully adult' form.
>>
No. 1045501 ID: 244451

Don't act agresively and ask for Bry. Names are universal.

Just a theory. Maybe headsplitters are not evil predators of Tobaks and they live in some kind of symbiosis. Maybe when you tried to tell "Slave" the male one understod you were there to enslave them. I would avoid violent actions like getting weapons until you get a clearer view of the situation.
>>
No. 1045504 ID: c28082

>>1045471

How can a horrible monster be so adorable? Give it a gentle pet on the ... snoot, I guess, since there's a horn in the way of its head, and explain that you really can't understand it.

(Their inability to produce an "H" sound is interesting, but I somehow doubt they're using a bastardized form of any language we'd know.)

Either way, they seem ... non-hostile, now, so let's ask for Bry and if there's anyone who could maybe help translate for us.
>>
No. 1045505 ID: c28082

>>1045495

Ooooh ... I kinda like this idea. It would explain the shared fur patterns (since the ones we can see are the same as the headsplitter we're presently talking to), but I do wonder if it's an actual mutation or perhaps some kind of genetic offshoot instead; a subspecies that is stuck between the two. Considering the facility being designed FOR tobaks, it could be possible that some company had already discovered this, and created a place to experiment on and observe this process, hence the rather incongruous display of understanding between residents and their apparent keepers -- as well as the shared language. The only part I can't quite figure out, however, is why the so-called "tribals" we encountered would know tail-signs, unless these are an earlier proto-language which antedates the facility and their divergence from other tribal cultures.
>>
No. 1045515 ID: d12415

I am not sure blindly repeating words we don't understand will really work in our favor.

--

Just something to consider: once we don't meet the team sent to get us (and the case), they could potentially find where we were kidnapped and track them to this location. Regardless of the intentions of the headsplitters and co., it could definitely turn hot when the team storms the place.
>>
No. 1045594 ID: dee951

I do like the, 'point at things, say the term, get them to say the term in their language' thing. Also obvious actions, like walk, run, stand, sit, pick up, duck, and the like. Get a basic vocabulary going, yea?
>>
No. 1045616 ID: b01382

>>1045470
>no females
This place sure is a saussage fest. Ha! I wonder how many of these tobaks were tribals, and how many were "modern" ones like Coil. Interesting.

>>1045515
I feel so god damn stupid right now. You know what we should do? We should go find some other tobaks and see ic they can teach us the language so we can communicate with the big lady. She obviously doesnt understand us, but rhe other tobaks might be able to parce some words of wisdom.
>>
No. 1045668 ID: 084179

>>1045471
Kiss her!
Right on her cute nose!
>>
No. 1045670 ID: 36db0e
File 166510815703.png - (300.93KB , 800x600 , TQ102.png )
1045670

I point to myself and say 'Coil' I point to it to see if I can get its name. It points to me.
>"C-oil."
...
It points to itself.
>"Ektaryet!"
It either misunderstood me or Ekteryet is supposed to be its name. that or it could be some kind of titular thing. Language is weird.

>What are these spires? Are you deeper into the crystal biomes?
Whether I'm deeper or higher up, it's hard to tell. What's safe to say is that I'm not in the area I once was.

>Does it understand tail language?
I try throwing a few tail signs to see how it responds. It tilts its head to the side and expresses confusion. It either can't understand or has no way of communicating that it understood what I'm signalling.

>Ask what it means by Erosa
I repeat the word 'Erosa'. It points at the cube. That must be their word for whatever that is.

>Ask for Bry.
I ask it if it knows where Bry went, or Ashley for that matter. It doesn't seem to recognize those names. I try further to expand the general vocabulary of our communications, but I don't find much success.

>You really should find someone who can translate for you.
As a real shot in the dark, I see if the words 'translate' or 'translator' mean anything to it. It thinks for a while then points at the door going into the hallway.

>Headsplitters were made in a facility
I don't think that's possible. Headsplitters have been around for a long time, far before the uplift. As a matter a fact, they used to be way more common than they are now seeing as they have reached a sort of mythical status among the vast majority of tobaks. Whether headsplitters are in any way genetically related to tobaks; I'm sceptical but not dismissive.

>No females
There's a good reason for that. Female tobaks are the natural counter to headsplitters. I've even heard a theory that the reason female tobaks are significantly taller and stronger than males is for the express purpose of fighting predators that use magnetism. I bet that's also the reason why males find taller females to be more attractive, because I can think of nothing hotter than having a big girlfriend that could beat up a giant monster for me. I would even bet that had we had we been traveling with a female tobak when the headsplitter came along, it probably would've backed off.

>Anything giving you a look like that wants one thing and one thing only: REACH OUT AND PET IT.
To confirm that this is indeed the case, I slowly approach with my hand out to see if it'll let me touch it.
It brings its head towards me readily, allowing me to pet it.

It closes its eyes and smiles, making some kind of purring noise. I don't imagine my metal hands feel that good, but it seems it appreciates the sentiment, nonetheless. I try to see if it'd allow me to ride its back and it seems like it'd let me if I wanted it.

I sit down and pet it for a while longer. I guess not all headsplitters are bad. Maybe 'headsplitter' doesn't fit this one. Aliens call these guys 'Saxum dragons' but most tobaks think it's too flattering for something so vehemently despised.

>How can a horrible monster be so adorable?
The universe can be truly cruel.

If this one is so friendly, what was with that other one?
>>
No. 1045671 ID: 36db0e
File 166510818876.png - (256.24KB , 800x600 , TQ103.png )
1045671

>You know what we should do? We should go find some other tobaks and see if they can teach us the language so we can communicate
If this kind headsplitter is to be believed, there might be someone who can understand me in the adjacent room. Maybe I should go there once I'm done here.

>Being in a giant dollhouse for the headsplitters isn't the worst fate but I wouldn't play along for too long.
That's true. I need to find Bry, Ashley and the suitcase so I can get back home. Preferably before I become red and yellow with spots.

I pick up the so-called 'Erosa' and hold it in front of me. This makes my new dragon friend very happy, giving quick nods of encouragement.

>If they need you to eat this thing you may want to take a nibble to show you’re compliant and then just indicate you’re not hungry.
A little nibble won't do anything bad to me. And besides... I don't want to be rude.

I take a few small bites from one of the corners. It's very light in volume so it comes off easy with the consistency of a creamy foam. It tastes... very good actually. The closest I can compare it to is some sort of cheesecake. It's lukewarm on the outside but I sense that it is warmer and moister closer to the centre. This is miles ahead of anything edible you can find naturally here on Saxum. I have to stop myself from eating more because I really don't know what it is still. I at least know it isn't poisoned.

I hear the sounds of excitement coming from my beastly friend. I'm happy knowing it's happy and not going to harm me.

So... where does this cube come from, anyway?
>>
No. 1045672 ID: 36db0e
File 166510820659.png - (289.50KB , 800x600 , TQ104.png )
1045672

"--HORK--"

-plonk-

Ah…
>>
No. 1045675 ID: f373c9

I mean, another friend for the circle?

Very big, very fluffy, very good.

Protect him (except if anything more YOU being protected), and probably go check out who the Translator would be.

And as for the Headsplitter Cubes, it's tasty and you know it isnt poisoned at least...
>>
No. 1045678 ID: 15c72a

>>1045670
>it's Ektaryet
Ah. You didn't choose slavery, you chose your minder. Slavery was inevitable. I wonder why this one is such a goof, when the one that caught you was so serious. Is Ektaryet a young headsplitter?

Anyway, seems like the foodcube is the headsplitter's equivalent of honey.
Try to communicate that one is enough. Then go find Bry.
>>
No. 1045679 ID: f3a2ce

The biology of the creatures on this planet must make alien scientists heads spin.

Anyways, ones diet has the ultimate affect on ones body positive or negative. I get the feeling these cubes are what causes the change. Though it likely happens slowly.
>>
No. 1045680 ID: d12415

>>1045672
Have you taken your Joy today?

Seriously though, feign compliance, but don't fucking swallow any more of that shit than you absolutely have to.

Hell, even take bites, but make sure to spit them back out when nobody is looking. If you value your life as you know it at all, then you should not consume that, even if it tastes amazing and you are hungry. This stuff likely changes how you think, so you should keep that in mind. Don't trust thoughts of giving in.

--

This is a super long shot and probably pointless to check, but there is no chance of there being some sort of emergency transponder in your hands, is there?
>>
No. 1045682 ID: dee951

>>1045680

Psshh, if there's mind control stuff in the only foodstuffs available, you're right fucked by definition. Might as well keep your energy levels up. After all, malnutrition ALSO lowers the ability to think clearly!

But ya, explore time! And language lesson while exploring. Maybe try shouting. "Hello, anyone in earshot??" or somesuch!
>>
No. 1045685 ID: 422cea

>>1045672
There's no way they're making those organically. They're perfectly square... Unless they make these somewhere else and cut them up into cubes.

Do headsplitters have a crop or gizzard they can carry stuff in?
>>
No. 1045695 ID: 664651

You got to admit that that is impressive. I would have never imagined that someone could barf a perfect shaped cube.
>>
No. 1045697 ID: b01382

>>1045672
Man biology is weird.
Uh, put the new cube on the table, then indicate that you're gonna leave to go find a translator.
>>
No. 1045703 ID: 74884b

That's fascinating. They produce cubes. And regurgitate them. Uh. Somehow that's the weirdest thing that happened yet, in a very mundane way. Headsplitters spit delicious food-cubes. That's a thing they do. Uh. Nature is full of surprises, and, apparently, full of cubes.
You'll have to bring one with you when you escape so doctors can determine what you just ingested.

Anyway, you should pet Ektaryet some more, and then ride it because you may not have another opportunity to do it. And point at it and say "Ektaryet" to show you understand.
>>
No. 1045705 ID: 5d9787

>>1045682
No real choice but to carry those cubes around until the stomach growl.

>>1045703
>ride it
That sound like a quick way to have a tour of the place. Maybe it will even be considered enough to allow a visit to our purple friend. During the ride ask every tobak you see if they speak english.
The tribals from earlier didn't care to explain anything but I bet if we approach any of those guys accompanied by our new friend they will be very cooperative.
>>
No. 1045706 ID: fec07f

>>1045695
I mean wombats poop cubes
>>
No. 1045707 ID: 30b9f6

>Erosa is their word for food - or this food
Vocabulary seems a bit crude or limited then. It essentially asked you "Food?", while clearly wondering why you weren't eating that. That or their vocabulary is so complex that tone alone - or probably more likely, magnetism - can convey context. Maybe there are magnetic cues you should be paying attention to and figuring out?

>Headsplitters -> dragons
Man, calling something a dragon sounds way cooler. Start thinking of them as that. Say, maybe they've been called Headsplitters because with their magnetic powers they could, actually, just literally rip a Tobak's head apart by wrenching the horns in polar opposite directions? And it's not actually about mind control or something worrying like that?

Maybe all these other Tobaks aren't mutants. Maybe they just dye their hair and paint stuff on their heads and ears.

>name
Weird they were shouting their own name as they approached - maybe if you become part of their pack you become considered an extension of them or something? That could be the titular thing. "Hello Ektaryet!" "Hello! How are you doing, Ektaryet?" and so on.

>Choice was all names
So the other dragons could be Lyto and Et. Unless Et was still 'or' in that language. We'll know for sure if we can ask a translator or see someone with a different number of markings - since that'd mean there are three dragons, not two.

>hork
Okay, one - cool, it has a feeding/caring instinct. And two - no more birdfeed for now!

...maybe one more nibble.

>I'm happy knowing it's happy and not going to harm me.
Take a moment to examine this happy feeling. Normal happy or "There's a non-zero chance I am being influenced from being around a happy Ektaryet and eating this stuff" happy?

Maybe headsplitters are more like, uh, those psycho Neumonos, in that they form a hive mind of sorts? And the more time you spend around them (and/or the more of this cubical goop you eat) the more you synchronize up with them? They're clearly keeping loads of Tobaks who don't seem to have any intentions of escaping, so something must be up with how they keep their 'slaves' under control.

>cube
Could they be creating it within their bodies or is this a 'kept in gizzard' sort of situation? If it's a treat created by a machine somewhere, I can get why it would be cubical - if it's produced internally, their biology must be pretty dang wild.

>Snatch the translator
Well, no use pondering on limited knowledge and no way to communicate. We should put the new cube on the table where you found your initial one, go find that translator and pawn your part-eaten cube off on them in exchange for some help communicating with Ektaryet. You need to find out what happened to Bry, Ashley and the suitcase, after all. And what your options are here. Seeing as you've never heard of anyone coming away alive from a meeting with a headsplitters, odds are they're NOT going to let you go without incentive or a fight. If you can provide the incentive - such as "danger will follow us, let us go with my stuff and danger won't find you", maybe you stand a chance of getting out of this situation.
>>
No. 1045708 ID: 74884b

Maybe they use magnetism to shape the cubes ?
>>
No. 1045726 ID: c28082

>>1045672

Oh. So they're like our buzzy Sect friends, I guess, what with the "whole regurgitating delicious nutrients" thing.

This planet sure is weird.
>>
No. 1045737 ID: b7d43c

Ride your new friend for a while. Bring something to carry items you recover. A spare shirt, perhaps. Use the extra food cube to bargain.
>>
No. 1045748 ID: 084179

>>1045672
KISS
THAT
SMOOCHABLE
SNOOT!
>>
No. 1045751 ID: dee951

>>1045706

Wombat poop cubes are rounded. These edges and corners are clearly machine made somehow.
>>
No. 1045794 ID: 0f2e90
File 166520122959.png - (368.43KB , 800x600 , TQ105.png )
1045794

>Man, calling something a dragon sounds way cooler. Start thinking of them as that.
Alright, but only for the ones I like!

>I get the feeling these cubes are what causes the change. Though it likely happens slowly.
These monsters, they've figured out that the fastest way to a tobak's heart is through his stomach! I'm not noticing any immediate effects so I'm hoping the change is gradual enough and won't take any sort of immediate effect.

>Psshh, if there's mind control stuff in the only foodstuffs available, you're right fucked by definition
I don't think there's any sort of mind control effect because I still feel the same. I'd really like to make sure though.

>You got to admit that that is impressive. I would have never imagined that someone could barf a perfect shaped cube.
Forget the magnetic manipulation, barfing a cube is straight up magic!

And I am not swallowing any more of that unless I really need to. And even if I need to, I'll have to spit it out when nobody's looking. I indicate to the Saxum-Dragon that I will be back after leaving the new cube on the table. It seems ok with it. I keep the partially nibbled cube with me so I don't insult the chef who generously baked me my cube.

>Nature is full of surprises, and, apparently, full of cubes.
Nature is gross!

>This planet sure is weird.
Hey! It's not-... well it kinda is, but I like my planet! All the other planets are far too bright. Not that I’d know, I’ve never been offworld.

>You'll have to bring one with you when you escape so doctors can determine what you just ingested.
We'll see. Here's hoping my healthcare plan covers strange cube ingestion.

>Maybe headsplitters are more like, uh, those psycho Neumonos, in that they form a hive mind of sorts? And the more time you spend around them (and/or the more of this cubical goop you eat) the more you synchronize up with them?
Neumono can do what?! I thought sect were the only things that could form hiveminds. If eating more cubes is going to turn me into some kind of zombak, maybe I should search for some kind of vegetarian alternative.

>This is a super long shot and probably pointless to check, but there is no chance of there being some sort of emergency transponder in your hands, is there?
That is a long shot as circumstances would prove. I don't have a transponder on me, and even if I did, I wouldn't have it on me now that my clothes have been swapped out.

>Explore
I'm tempted to ride our Saxum-Dragon companion around, but I should only really do so once I've figured out where I want to go. For now, I exit the hallway to take a look around for someone I can speak to. I call out, hoping that somebody might hear me and give me a response. After not too long, someone calls back from a room down the hall.

I walk in to see three tobaks in some kind of recreation room. Two appear to be playing some form of ping-pong while one is sleeping on a couch.

The one in the back is smoking what is unmistakably Bry's pipe. The one in front seems to be a glade tobak who looks relatively normal, but I see hints of headsplitter fur patterns starting to appear on his body. He greets me with tail signs rather than talking.

The one in the back talks.
>"Looks like we got a new new-guy. You any good at foosball?"
He then looks at my cube.
>"You gonna finish that?"

It looks like I've been led into a room of tobaks who are capable of understanding and communicating with me. I could take one back to the headsplitter to get some communication going.
>>
No. 1045796 ID: dee951

'So... yea... I'm new here. Can I have the short version of what in the hell is going on? You know, the where am I, what is this, who are you, what's going on, who's in charge, all that jazz? Cause I'm, uh, not currently freaking out but it's a super close thing.'
>>
No. 1045797 ID: 15c72a

>>1045794
Ask if there's any other food, and what exactly they're turning into.
>>
No. 1045801 ID: d12415

>>1045794
Ask what the flying fuck is going on. Also tell them that you need the case, and you need to leave. If you, Bry, Ashley, and the case don't all leave relatively soon, things will likely get very violent once the corpo recovery team tracks you down (fine, no transponder embedded in your robo hands, but they still know roughly where you are, and can track the bike, and the crowd of beings footprints from where the bike abruptly stops).
>>
No. 1045805 ID: 36784c

>>1045794
>The one in the back is smoking what is unmistakably Bry's pipe.
Ask where they got that? That pipe belongs to your friend and right now you can't find him. You're getting really worried about him and want to find him.
>>
No. 1045809 ID: d03e71

Hey they speak the language. Maybe he was with the guys on that mining team? Something to talk about if you wanna strike up conversation. Offer cube, ask if he can speak Ekti's language as well.
>>
No. 1045812 ID: a2d88b

Hey, looks like we found the observation tower survivor! And looks like it was indeed him who took the briefcase. You should inquire about it, but NOT right away, we don't want to make it sound too important.

Offer cube, ask who can speak both uplifted corpospeak and tribal/dragon.
>>
No. 1045815 ID: 15c72a

Oh! I know how you can convince them to let you go. Tell them that what's in the briefcase is too highly desired an object, and it can be tracked, so if they keep it a bunch of heavily armed aliens will arrive and wipe them out. If they let you and Bry go, you'll take it with you, and they will be safe.
>>
No. 1045819 ID: b01382

>>1045794
So several things.
1.) That's my friend's pipe, why do you have it?
2.) Where's my buddies Bry (yellow dude) and Ashley (yellow sect).
3.) Where'd you put all our loot? I had some stuff I wanted to return back how with, stuff that corperate will roll this place over for, and one of those items was a bioarmor suit. You know the kind that kills you if you touch it? Anyways me and my friends need to get out of her before Big Corpo comes a knocking and kills us all.
4.) yes you can have to cube if you answer my questions and gimme that pipe
5.) why are you guys here, and can you understand the headsplitters? Can you teach me some of the words?
6.) How can you tell males from females?
7.) are you guys all mind controlled or prisoners or something? Why are the head splitters collecting tobaks?
8.) Are there any female tobaks here? It's a sausage fest here.
9.) Is there anything to eat besides the cubes? I quite like the way I look.
10.) Can I have my stuff back?
11.) Why'd you guys change my clothes? You weirdos.
>>
No. 1045821 ID: b01382

>>1045794
Wait a minute. You're that one tobak that shot off your own horn. Why are you here?
>>
No. 1045824 ID: b01382

>>1045812
but it is important. Important enough that corperated back fighter jets, bombers, infantry, and a whole bunch of other things will come rolling here to get what they want. They wouldn't even need to get close to the headslitters to kill em. One well placed laser shot would do the trick.
>>
No. 1045825 ID: a2d88b

>>1045824
Important it is, but I don't want them to know that until we absolutely need them to. Otherwise, they could decide to bring it to a competitor.
>>
No. 1045834 ID: f71d93

Maybe the belo-docker employee knows where we are!
>>
No. 1045835 ID: 36784c

>>1045819
>Bry (yellow dude)
Bry is purple, not yellow.
>>
No. 1045836 ID: b01382

>>1045835
I had a brain fart I meant to say purple dude.
fuck I nearly typed yellow dude. I'm tired.
>>
No. 1045838 ID: 5d9787

Everybody seem to be on the same page about the important points:
-Explain what's going on
-Where are my friends?
-Translation/Language crash course

There are a few things I would prefer to avoid mentioning for now:
-Demanding the return of a specific item could backfire and make them pay more attention to it or hide it. First we should learn why they took our stuff and if we can get anything back.
-Similarly revealing any danger associated with the possession of the briefcase would be more likely to cause them to get rid of it and keep us. Now is not the time, but if we get to use the imminent danger explanation we should insinuate they are coming after us.
-Any concern about being turned should be keep at a minimum. It's fine to ask about the specifics of the process, but they may restrict our freedom of movimente if it sound like we are trying to escape.
>>
No. 1045840 ID: 88a5be

Shrug and share the probably-transformative food with the others.

Ask a few pertinent questions, then take one back to the dragon. You don’t know how long they’re gonna stick around.

Ask one-horn what he did with the suitcase (and mention you found hus note). Ask how they feel about their changes and the dragons. Ask if they know what happened to the purple Tobak (gonna have to remember to steal that pipe back) and the poor sect girl.

Say you’re terrible at foosball and wiggle your oversized metal fingers.
>>
No. 1045844 ID: 9ed731

Trade the cube for the pipe.
And ask them innocently if the mercenaries and corpo soldiers who were after you followed you here.
>>
No. 1045848 ID: 4cbadb

FOOSBALL TIME!! (it'll also probably help getting them more receptive to questions and all that too, but foosball doesn't need an excuse)
>>
No. 1045882 ID: 76886a

>>1045848
Yes. Please.
Foosball.

Alos, hey, it's the one-horned tobak from the abandoned base again. We can talk to him too when he wakes up!
>>
No. 1045883 ID: 084179

>>1045794
It's table tennis, not foosball. Why are you wearing the paddles on your horns?
>>
No. 1045889 ID: c28082

>>1045794

Sure, quick game and explain the situation while you play, then see if they're willing to get some translation going. Also sure, let's offer up the food-cube.
>>
No. 1045906 ID: 15a025

Where'd you get the pipe?
>>
No. 1045982 ID: 084179

>>1045794
These wide tobak thighs got me acting most unwise
>>
No. 1046009 ID: 481e64
File 166537812391.png - (207.06KB , 800x600 , TQ106.png )
1046009

"I'm terrible at foosball. Big metal fingers and that."
>"Ah. No problem."

"I'll trade you this cube for that pipe and some information."
>"Deal! Just let me get a few more puffs in."

"Who here can talk uplifted corpo speak or tribal-dragon?"
>"Unicorn can speak the latter, I can speak both. I've been here for the longest."


"Can I have the short version of what in the hell is going on?"
>"Short huh? Let me see how I can best sum this up quickly... You're being adopted whether you like it or not! Congratulations!
"Is there any other food? What exactly are you guys turning into?"
>"Sorry buddy, you won't find much normal food around here. As for what we're turning into? We're all becoming members of the family. Me and the unicorn over there have already fully transitioned but the mute still has a bit to go. Honestly that changes aren't all that different from being a normal tobak, you hardly notice them at first. Then you notice that you can't eat anything but cubes without throwing up and you no longer feel any need or capability to reproduce. Besides that - completely normal!"

"Why'd you guys change my clothes? You weirdos."
>"Six-Spots made us do it. She likes to dress us up."
"Six-Spots?"
>"The dragon who owns this territory. We call her that on account of her pattern of Six-Spots."
"So the other one is called Seven- Spots?"
>"Bingo! You catch on quick!"

"Where did you get that pipe?"
>"Found it in the clothes pile sticking out the pocket of a pair of pants."
"It belongs to a friend of mine. I'm worried about him and I want to find him."
>"Damn bro that sucks."
"I'm looking for two people, A purple tobak with short tails named Bry and a yellow sect with a brown jumpsuit named Ashley."
>"I've not seen anyone of those descriptions around. They've probably been divided amongst the other dragons. I'm guessing your tobak friend was put in Seven Spots' compound. Your sect friend could be there as well, or maybe it's with Five-Stars."
"I need those two and a briefcase. Once I get those, I need to head out. Bad people are going to follow us here if I don't leave in time"
>"Bad people? If they carry anything magnetic, they won't get anywhere close. And if you want to leave, you'll want to convince one of the dragons, not us. Maybe Seven-Spots seeing as he calls the shots around here."
"The people coming after us might have big lasers! tanks, planes, an army of trained soldiers!"
>"You've got nothing to worry about. The only way in and out of this place are a few cramped tunnels. No way you can fit a plane or tank through those. Even if someone wanted to funnel an army through, it'd take them a while."
"I need to find the items I came in with. Do you know where those might be?"
>"If it was made of metal, it was probably put into Seven Spots' scrap pile. If it wasn't made of metal, it's probably around here somewhere."
"Why are you guys here? Can you understand the dragons? Can you teach me some of the words?"
>"We're all here because we were taken. I've been here long enough that I can understand whatever they say, I can give you a few translations if you want. It's simple but hard to grasp at the same time."
"You never wanted to leave?"
>"Everyone wants to leave at first. Then you realize that it isn't that bad. It's really not much different from working under corpos."
"Are you guys all mind controlled or prisoners or something? Why are the dragons collecting tobaks?"
>"Mind controlled? Buddy, do I look mind controlled to you? Nope! We have free will. Sorta. Why are dragons collecting tobaks? It used to be for survival, to gather food and defend them and all that. This place provides all the food and protection they could ever want so I think at this point they use us for entertainment. That's just my theory anyway."
"Are there any female tobaks here?"
>"Not that I know of. Dragons are quite afraid of female tobaks so it doesn't make sense to keep any around. Maybe Five-Stars has a few? It's hard to tell, he really prefers to keep to himself."
"Is there anything to eat besides the cubes? I quite like the way I look."
>"If you want to sneak into the plantation that the dragons get their food from, you can be my guest. I really wouldn't recommend it though. They don't go easy on new guys."
"What exactly is the relationship between the dragons? Are they a family?"
>"Six-Spots and Seven-Spots are brother and sister with Seven-spots being the oldest. I would describe their relationships as... strenuous. Five-Stars is unrelated to the other two but seems to get along well with Seven-Spots. He's a bit of a hermit though so you'll probably never see him."
>>
No. 1046010 ID: 481e64
File 166537815055.png - (147.32KB , 800x600 , TQ107.png )
1046010

I look over to the tobak with a single horn. Is he... The one shot his horn off in the lighthouse? What was his name? Wasn't it...

"Telliot?"

He lifts his head up.

...

>"Pardon?"
"Is that your name? Telliot?"
>"Yeah... How did you know that?"

"I found an abandoned Belo-Docker's lighthouse with a note and a single horn laying on the table. I don't suppose those belonged to you?"
>"Well... Yeah! Those must've belonged to me. Did the company send you all this way to find out what happened to me? I never thought they'd do that. I was worried I'd get labelled a deserter and be forgotten about. I guess if you're here that must mean... you know what happened to the others!"
>>
No. 1046011 ID: 481e64
File 166537817417.png - (266.50KB , 800x600 , TQ108.png )
1046011

He stands up and walks over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders.
>"Did they make it out okay? How is Lyto? Is he running that flower shop like he said he would?"
"You mean you don't know?"
>"No, and it's been eating at me ever since we got separated! When I tried to make a run for it, I knew for sure they would find another way. Things were getting grim back then, so I'm hoping they are ok now."

Ah geez.
>>
No. 1046012 ID: 15c72a

>>1046011
First, ask him for a description of the tobaks he's talking about. Small chance that those are not the ones you found... tell him the truth either way.

Also yeah you found a translator-- the first one you spoke to. Ask him to come with you so you can talk to "six spots". Find out what the dragon's real name is, tell him about the dangerous briefcase, and try to make a deal for him to let you and your two friends leave with it.
It is very possible for a few aliens to come in here with non-ferrometallic guns and just shoot their way through to retrieve it. They have zero defenses against that kind of assault. Whatever that makeshift gun was, a functioning one would work.
>>
No. 1046016 ID: b01382

>>1046011
I'll tell you if you can help me get to my friends and the suitcase back.

This might be mean, but we need all the help we can get. Telling him the truth might get him a serious case of depression.
>>
No. 1046019 ID: e5709d

Ask about their opinions on the Rin-Reida genocide. Then ask if the dragons would want to do something about it.
>>
No. 1046020 ID: 9e7f25

>>1046016
Bro if they are the corpses don't be a monster. If they're as reasonable as they say it would be best to make peace with them. So if confirmed, tell him no and that he won't like the news instead of immediately punching him in the psyche with it.

Also it could be a coincidence but Lyto is one of the things the dragon that caught you said.

Ask them how long it takes to transition when you get the chance.
>>
No. 1046022 ID: c27bfc

>>1046011
Ah sad. Put a hand on his shoulder in turn and shake your head. Unless there were more than three other guys you don’t think they made it and the company... well, must’ve written it off as a loss. Probably no-one even checked in, you found the place pretty undisturbed.

Shit happens. For what it’s worth he seems to have made the right choice - much as you hate the idea of never eating other food again and being at the mercy of capricious dragons - though the one outside seems nice - at least it’s a living. He can make a little grave monument and put flowers on it - like aliens do. Might make him feel better.

But Lyto... that was one of the names the Seven-Spots said when you were captured. Lyto, Et, Ektaryet. You chose Ektaryet and ended up with Six-Spots. What’s the meaning of these names? Is that what the dragons call themselves, or...?

How long have they all been here, by the way? This stuff can’t change them that fast, right?

If Seven-Spots is the strict leader and Six-Spots his more carefree sister, we’re going to have problems convincing them that they’re in danger. Our social standing as newcomer is already pretty low and they’ll treat us as an escape risk until we transform. But if Seven-Spots is the more cautious, msybe we can get the context through somehow...

How smart are the dragons? Do they get... technology and the context of there being these big corporations with aliens and organisation much better than their own? People capable of outfitting some serious task forces, or just getting a BUNCH of females to come here and kick ass?

Also, good grief, what is -this- place? Is it close by to where you were found? Seems like a pretty self-container paradise place, and everything is Tobak-sized.
>>
No. 1046024 ID: 36784c

>>1046009
>collecting tobaks
I feel like we might’ve discovered what happened to Wynn’s and Rye’s friend. They were surprise adopted by these dragons!

Might as well ask if anyone here knows of a female tobak named Wynn and a male screenface tobak named Rye? Then inform them that those two are looking around for a friend and you’re betting that friend is somewhere around here.

>"If it was made of metal, it was probably put into Seven Spots' scrap pile. If it wasn't made of metal, it's probably around here somewhere."
Uh oh. The drive in the suitcase was made of metal! Hopefully they didn’t crush it into scrap! ……then again, that would require them to not have been turned into paste by the bioarmor we left in there.

>>1046011
Tell him that you’re from a different corporation, so you weren’t sent to find him. Then comes the hard part of telling him what happened to his friends.
>>
No. 1046025 ID: 824149

Tell him his corporation probably thinks he is dead. Tell him that they had pretty good reasons to think so, because his friend didn't survive. Try to be tactful.
Ask what they do with non-tobak captives, and ask what does Ektaryet means.

I think it's weird that they're still collecting tobaks. They have all they need, collecting more is a risk. Maybe Six Spot does so because she just like having them around, but the other two seems more cautious ? Maybe they have a sort of tobak-hoarding instinct. That's a bit sad, really, even the local fauna is exploiting you...
>>
No. 1046026 ID: 30b9f6

Also, this is a looooooong shot, but do any of them know anything about LuneCorp?

Oh, hey, and that's a thought. Was this actually LuneCorp facility? If it's old and stuff... wouldn't it have to be one of theirs?
>>
No. 1046028 ID: 5d9787

Sorry Telliot, they did what they planed to do.
He seem to still be loyal to the Belo-Docker. That is a problem for us. Don't antagonize him and don't tell anyone you and Bry are pilots or the company you work for.

>you no longer feel any need or capability to reproduce.
They are sterilized. Bry will be particularly against being subjected to this process.
The concern about the presence of females just became even more irrelevant since you would have no interest in them. I'm a bit curious if the females who eat those cubes also end up chemically castrated or if it's like a heavy dosage of feminine hormones making their sexual characteristics exaggerated.

If we are free to move between compounds we should prioritize locating or friends. If we need permission the most important thing is establish communication with Six-Spots, although we would still have to do that after locating our friends.
In the current hierarchy she is our new boss so we need to know what she expect from us, but we also need to learn what she like in general because we need to figure out what can be offered in exchange for our freedom.
>>
No. 1046030 ID: 30b9f6

By the way, if Telliot refuses to believe you... you did pocket his horn, didn't you? So it should be in the loot stash from when you were captured.

If he can take you there, you can check for it. He was the one that took the blue suitcase anyway, which is the thing you really, really need to retain control of, or at least secure somehow, until retrieval. If you can fetch it while there... well, that's half the fight, since there WILL be a retrieval effort, given what you know.

Question is only if it's by friendlies or not.

And there's another thing you desperately need:

Goggles! For REASONS.
>>
No. 1046031 ID: c28082

>>1046011

Use the old tried and true standby: they're in a better place than where they were.

Nice, vague, and totally not obvious that they all offed themselves in the most gruesome ways possible, out of stark fear and the compounding terror of old Tobak yarns that turned out to be completely false.

Then, quickly distract Telliot by asking him what he knows about things and how he gets his hair poof to be so dang fabulous.
>>
No. 1046032 ID: 36784c

>>1046030
>you did pocket his horn, didn't you?
I don't think we did. But if we did bring it with us, we're not going to have it with us. It's going to be with the rest of our things that were taken from us when we were knocked out.
>>
No. 1046033 ID: 9a2966

>>1046032
>pocket that one’s horn as you might be able to use it as a shiv if someone tries to ambush you.
>Oooh, another excellent Idea. I pocket my new shiv.

Got kept as a backup shiv, turns out!
>>
No. 1046037 ID: 36784c

>>1046033
That's neat. Too bad it was taken from us when we were captured.
>>
No. 1046060 ID: 084179

>>1046011
Quick, kiss his smoochable lips as a distraction!
>>
No. 1046065 ID: fec07f

>>1046011
Ohh noo, ok best to get this out of the way, time to be as tactful and honest as possible. Maybe try to get him to sit down before you break the news.
On the plus side if he wants his horn back this might be an opportunity to get someone to lead you to the item stash.
>>
No. 1046079 ID: dee951

So on the no need or capability to reproduce thing... Is social sex and body play of some sort still on the table? Asexuality is a spectrum, and you've always enjoyed having the odd vice or hedonistic imperative. You'd hate to give up all avenues for that sort of sensual fun!
>>
No. 1046106 ID: 422cea

Try not to upset Telliot. I do not think the dragons will be understanding of why one of their pets is suddenly sad and in hysterics. It'd jeopardize any progress you plan to make.
>>
No. 1046392 ID: 481e64
File 166565778245.png - (231.03KB , 800x600 , TQ109.png )
1046392

>Kiss him
Nah.

I choose to be as tactful and honest as possible.
"I'm from a different company so I wasn't sent to find you. I don't think your company ever sent someone to come look for you guys because... Well... You're not going to like the news."
>"..."
"They... did what they planned to do."
>"They... oh."

>"..."

>"Oh god, they didn't - They..."

>"No..."

He slowly slumps down to his knees while still holding onto me. He quietly mumbles things to himself. I struggle to find what to say.
"For what it's worth, you made the right choice, as much as I hate the idea of being mutated and controlled, it's a living at least. As for them, I think there are in a better place than they were."
>"All of them... Gone..."
"If... if it'll make things better... we could build three graves for them... if you want."
>"Three?"
"Yes? There was three of them, right?"
>"..."

The other tobak I was talking to comes over and stands beside me.
>"I just wanted to say - I have never seen Telliot smile before! I've also never seen him this sad. Soooo lotta new things happening today! Aaaaanyway, did you have more you wanted to ask?"


>Also it could be a coincidence but Lyto is one of the things the dragon that caught you said.
It probably is. names like 'Lyto' are extraordinarily common.

"How long does it take for a tobak to fully transition into... Well, mutated tobaks."
>"A couple months give or take. Mute over there has only been here a couple weeks. He started off with light brown fur when he first arrived."
"When Seven-Spots caught me, he said three names. Lyto, Et and Ekteryet. What's the significance of those?"
>"It's kinda their names but not quite. Dragon speak is weird! There's only about sixty words in the dragon dictionary, but potentially thousands of different connotations or meanings. Ekteryet refers to Six-Spots most of the time, but it also conveys different stuff depending on tone and context... sorta. Like I said - weird! But you get the hang of it the longer you stick around."
"How smart are the dragons? Do they understand technology, corporations and the aliens?"
>"Hard to say. They have to be pretty smart to have their own language, but I don't think they have a proper grasp of what's been going on with the whole uplift situation. They do know a little bit of agriculture because they grow their own food, that’s pretty smart right?"
"This is a bit of a long shot, but do any of you guys know anything about LuneCore?"
>"I know they're gone, and that's all I want to know about them. I thought this facility might be their work when I first arrived but there are too few robots. The last any of us have seen of LuneCore is the robotic remains littering the scrap pile. Turns out that being made of metal is a losing move when you're up against a Saxum dragon."
"Any opinions on what happened to the Rin-Reida?"
>"I think them and LuneCore were connected in some way. I've never met any Rin-Reida because they're so darn rare, but I heard they avoid the aliens. Clearly they've never tried alien food before."
"You mentioned that you guys don't feel the ability to reproduce? So that means like... no sensual fun whatsoever?"
>"Pretty much. Why do you think we're playing table tennis? I'm sure it's possible to still feel pleasure from the odd vice or two, but even if our sexual reproductive capabilities were unaffected, the options for potential partners are pretty limited around here."
>>
No. 1046393 ID: 481e64
File 166565781745.png - (272.18KB , 800x600 , TQ110.png )
1046393

>I feel like we might’ve discovered what happened to Wynn and Rye’s friend. They were surprise adopted by these dragons!
None of these guys fit the bill. I was showed a poster and none of these guys seem to match, but it's possible he's around here somewhere.

>I think it's weird that they're still collecting tobaks. They have all they need, collecting more is a risk.
There must be a reason. Perhaps it's just in their nature and they can't help it?

>They are sterilized. Bry will be particularly against being subjected to this process.
All the more important that I rescue him!

After some more talking, I ask the bilingual tobak if he is willing to translate speech for me to Six-Spots. He agrees and we both go. The other two follow us but I see no reason they shouldn’t come with us. Telliot seems to be doing better. Six-Spots stands in the middle of the room and towers over us, seeming very happy to see us.

>"Alright dude, ask a question and I'll do my best to ask it on your behalf."
>>
No. 1046394 ID: f3a2ce

Well first off is flattery. You're pleased that the dragons aren't as harsh as legend has led you to believe. Her in particularly seeming very sweet.

Obviously ask about where your stuff and companions are at, especially ash. I'm very worried about ash.

I'm also considering bringing up the case and the imminent danger this place is in from at least three companies and two independent mercs but since you're translator already pooh-poohed the thought he may not mention it for you.
>>
No. 1046395 ID: 5d9787

We should start questioning her motives:
What's your deal? Do you collect us for fun? Are we pets for your entertainment? Do you have a use for us? Are you trying to accomplish something?

Some information about her and the dragons could be circumstantially useful but might not be worth asking depending on how the conversation flow:
What do you guys plant? Do you like to eat it? What are your likes and dislikes? Any subject I should avoid around you?

The important questions should be about our friends:
What happened to the purple tobak and the sect that were with me? Are they safe? Can I meet them?
Is Ashley happy here? I want to stay with her but this could be a good place for her to live. (Don't say that last part to the dragon.)

It's too early to explain about the suitcase because that could cause them to abandon it or let Coil leave without Bry. We could explain that LuneCore mercenaries are chasing us.
We have a lot of unresolved conflicts following us. Could they consider letting us go?

Lastly I would like to know if they have any interest in visiting civilization. Even if they are in conflict with female tobaks the alien wouldn't care and violent assault wouldn't be tolerated within the city. With the way they are running this place they could easily trade and recrute there, but would have to stop kidnapping.
>>
No. 1046396 ID: dee951

The way they phrased the no sensual fun thing implies the mental effects of the transformation go beyond what they are saying. They seem to lack creativity and drive and curiosity. Probe this concept. Is anyone making art? Running the creative types of games? Inventing new sports appropriate to their situation? Exploring the limits of their home? Trying new things, pushing boundaries? Do they remember other things that used to be important to them 'before' that are less important now?
>>
No. 1046397 ID: dee951

>>1046396

Oh don't ask this of the dragon with the limited vocabulary, of course. Ask the guys. Though an aside the dragon, to include them now that they are there, maybe ask what they do for fun?
>>
No. 1046398 ID: b01382

>>1046393
Ask where our two friends are, the suitcase, and the honey is. The bug lady needs the honey because she cant heal and she needs honey to heal. Bry doesnt want to be sterile because hes got a girlfriend. We're also looking for another recent friend that went missing, and Five or Seven spots might have em.
Do not open or touch whats inside the suitcase or you might get badly hurt.
>>
No. 1046408 ID: 30b9f6

>Introductions
Be inquisitive, but in a fun upbeat way! If Ektaryet is happy, let's try to keep them happy by playing nice. Introduce yourself properly as Coil, an uplifted Tobak - just like your new buddies here. You've got a fair bit of mechanical know-how, know how to fly a bomber plane and have had your hands replaced with cybernetics because accidents happen. You also have the world's bestest bunk bud. Speaking of...

>Companions
Ask about Bryto and Ashley, you're concerned and would like to see them. Can this be arranged after your chat? You're particularly concerned about the Sect - they were really new to their independence, so this was a really scary and confusing encounter for them. If they got hurt, they'd also need to be treated with some of that honey that got captured with you.

>This Place
Do they know what this place is?

>Dragon Culture
What's the Saxum Dragons' interests and goals? What does she, Five-Star and Seven-Spots all want - and with so many Tobaks!

Are they just living life as one should? You are genuinely curious - this is your first encounter with dragons and there's clearly much you don't know. All you have is rumors and hearsay and some of that appears patently wrong now that you're face to... paw-height with them. And on the flip side - what do THEY consider Tobaks to be? Useful tools? Strangers to turn into pets or allies? Do they ever choose NOT to turn captive Tobaks into their people? It must get difficult to keep folks fed the more you have, after all.

(A thought: if they're producing this Erosa stuff in their bodies there has to be a soft limit to how many Tobaks they can comfortably feed. Maybe that can be an argument for getting them to accept a - friendly, trustworthy - Tobak NOT eating it exclusively?)

>Stuff
Ask whether you can have stuff back - or what sort of stuff would be acceptable for you to have. As a mechanic there's tools and such you could be useful with. And you really, really want that candy bar back! You're an alien junk food connoisseur, after all. Which makes what would happen to your enjoyment of regular food so sad - and a reason to scheme and plead for an exception to full conversion!

>Trade
Do they trade or have contacts with non-dragon factions? They seem pretty insular, but if there's anything they want - besides more Tobaks - they could consider beginning to trade with aliens or other native non-Tobak species. Actually, Bryto would probably be real good at negotiating stuff. Fellow has a lot of alien friends! Knows all kinds. Just don't put him up against a flirty lady negotiator without an able wingman, like you!

>Danger & Leaving
Try to avoid implying threat or danger, or that people will be coming to get you (or well, the suitcase). Don't say outright that you're interested in leaving. For one, it could be misinterpreted - or worse, correctly interpreted! Then you'd be in trouble if the Dragons start force-feeding you, or actively prepping for invaders, or abandoning their home base to go elsewhere. You shouldn't say you don't want these things either - they must expect you to be a little leery of joining/becoming part of their dragon-tribe and could be well used to escape attempts - but you can give a (fairly honest) impression of someone who's curious and whose guard has dropped for the moment.

What you really need, though, is to get a good sense of the place, and your options, before you make any moves or admit that they snagged something sending a signal that'll lead danger straight to home. One dragon being nice and coming from a possibly near-extinct species is by no means enough for you to abandon your non-mutated state and your freedom forever! Though... granted, it is something. But if we clue them in on the server and they decide to destroy it, you'd probably be toast.

>Questions
Tit for tat. Does Ektaryet have any questions for you? Answer them as honestly as you can. Her interests might give you clues on how to convince her of your sincerity and need to be let go.

>Understanding their language
I'm going to bet part of being better able to understand their language comes from the mutations - but nevertheless, try your best to pick up how Ektaryet is 'magnetically' communicating. At the very least it could be half useful to be able to eavesdrop on dragons!
>>
No. 1046411 ID: 5d9787

>>1046408
Maybe we shouldn't mention anything to do with flying a bomber plane next to Telliot. He may not react well to learning we're some of the people who showered explosives on top of him six months ago.

Here is another idea to become an exception for the cube feeding process: Seduce the dragon. Serve a function that cannot be fulfilled if we get castrated.
I'm just not confident Coil can convince Six-Spots. I'm sure Bry could do it.
>>
No. 1046412 ID: c28082

>>1046392

>even if our sexual reproductive capabilities were unaffected, the options for potential partners are pretty limited around here."

Dang, have they got to meet Bry.

As for the possibility of sterilization, this might actually be more due to the steady genetic and physiological shift, resulting in incompatibility with non-mutant Tobaks, and thus a waning desire to reproduce. However, what our unnamed translator friend suggests is more akin to a form of anhedonia (that is, a clinical lack of experienced pleasure), though "vice" used here might just be a clever euphemism for sex. The psychosocial aspects of the mutation are very much ripe for study (and all the more reason to find and observe Bry!) while we bide our time and figure this out.

>>1046393

Oh gosh, she's adorable. You really could have done a lot worse, Coil, and at least she won't try to crush your hands (or worse) because reasons.

Let's start by thanking her for the food, then asking where we are and where Bry and Ashley are, since we'd like to talk to them and see if they're okay.

Also, is it just you, or did your ears get some lighter spots of a sudden ...?
>>
No. 1046429 ID: a9af05

>>1046412
>Also, is it just you, or did your ears get some lighter spots of a sudden...?
Nope, he's always had those spots on his ears. You can see them right here >>1039110
>>
No. 1046438 ID: 15c72a

I have a feeling that there wasn't meant to be three Tobaks there, and they didn't actually kill themselves, but got killed by a raiding party, managing to kill one assailant in the process. Like I said, you'll want to get descriptions.

Also, note that the mutation changes their eyes... I wonder how much it would take for your eyes to change enough to not be embarrassing anymore.

>>1046393
Okay, first off, ask about your friends. Secondly, ask about Wynn and Rye’s friend, maybe they're somewhere around here. Thirdly, ask where the briefcase is. At some point you're going to have to break the news that they're all in danger because of the briefcase. Not just from your Company, who knows where you disappeared and will come looking, but from the other two factions looking for it, who might have a way of tracking it.
>>
No. 1046448 ID: a9af05

>>1046438
>dangers of the briefcase
We should also mention that there will be aliens who won't be affected by their magnetism.

And if any of them suggest destroying the briefcase, let them know that would actually be worse because everyone would be pissed and would continue trying to kill them.
>>
No. 1046453 ID: 084179

>>1046393
Ask six spots out on a date.
>>
No. 1046459 ID: dee951

>>1046453

Wow, ya, Six-Spots has it going on. But you only want to do that AFTER you understand her language and can speak to her without ambiguity and understand her responses. Maybe spin it as a way to get a tour of those plantations? They have to be beautiful!
>>
No. 1046477 ID: 084179

>>1046459
Maybe we could ask her out AND not eat the cubes, that way Coil can still have the desire for hand holding, or dare I say.... s p o o n I n g ? ? ?
Such degeneracy. Imagine being the little spoon and feeling all that fluff.
>>
No. 1046478 ID: dee951

>>1046477

I think the point is to get the heck out of here before you are infected with the forced anhedonia and other weird implied mind changes. Cause what they are describing goes beyond being Aroace!!
>>
No. 1046481 ID: 084179

>>1046478
True, but counter point.
Big tall fluffy GF.
>>
No. 1046482 ID: dee951

>>1046481

We just need to determine the method of transformation, figure out a countermeasure, acquire big fluffy GF, and get out of here with fluffy GF and anyone else that is rescuable and who can have their mutations tweaked to not be utterly reliant on a super niche life support system. All that requires is delving the secrets of this place, figuring out countermeasures to the engineered civilization they have here, breaking any conspiracies, and proooobably breaking everyone out of the jail, possibly including the warden types who might be a victim of circumstances as much as anyone. And obtaining big fluffy GF as part of the adventure. Should be simple, no doubt!
>>
No. 1046486 ID: 15c72a

>>1046481
What good is a big fluffy GF if you've got no sex drive?
>>
No. 1046524 ID: b01382

>>1046486
jus don't eat the cubes. simple.
>>
No. 1046527 ID: 30b9f6

>>1046524
Refusal to eat cubes could lead to 'forced to eat cubes'. May be better to appear to have a poor appetite and scrounge up actual food alternatives to cover for it.

We can ask the others what happens to Tobaks who refuse to eat cubes afterwards. Presumably they are not given a pat on their heads and let go.
>>
No. 1046532 ID: aa2be1

>>1046527
Finding food alternatives will be hard. From what we've been told, the only renewable alternate food source is tightly guarded by the dragons. And any non-renewable food has likely already been eaten.
>>
No. 1046542 ID: b01382

>>1046393
Oh shit Coil already has three dots on his ears.
>>
No. 1046544 ID: 15c72a

>>1046542
Those have always been there.

>>1046532
Oh right I forgot about the farm. Actually, if Coil does get that big fluffy GF then she'll probably share that food with him, so it's a viable idea.
>>
No. 1046719 ID: 084179

>>1046393
Can we at least hold her hand? I bet they're warm and soft.
>>
No. 1046721 ID: 5d9787

>>1046719
His hands are mechanical, he wouldn't feel her softness.
>>
No. 1046723 ID: dee951

>>1046721

Depends on what kinds of connections to the existing nerve endings there are.
>>
No. 1046724 ID: 2a3927

Would you guys stop trying to derail the quest? It's getting really old.

Also, this "relationship" you're trying to get will never work out. She'll want us to stay, but we can't because we need to complete our mission. And if we somehow convinced her to come with us, everyone is going to shoot and kill her on sight because she's a headsplitter.

It'll be better and safer for her to stay here.
>>
No. 1046735 ID: 15c72a

>>1046724
We can get someone else to deliver the briefcase, or... just come back afterwards?
>>
No. 1046737 ID: 180c83

>>1046724
Yeah. The "seduce the dragon" opinions are the most cockbrained shit so far in this quest. Never mind that there's no reason or precedent for her to be interested in Coil, or the linguistic and cultural barrier, or the biological imperative these things apparently have to chemically castrate and enslave tobaks. Coil *might* have an attraction to her as a large female with similarities to his species, but there's no plausible relationship potential here otherwise and there are more important things to be worried about. He can go back later and enslave himself to the dragons in some deranged desire to be Six-Spots' special dickslave exception, or become the first headsplitter anthropologist, or whatever the shit if he really "wants" to. But let's focus on the important objectives he had before this sidetrack.

Maybe we can barter with the dragon(s) to see if there are special things they might want beyond what this facility provides, in exchange for our group's freedom. If their motives for collecting tobaks are actually rooted in leisure, we could see about arranging to get them new types of entertainment, like alien movies/games/literature. And the tobaks here would probably be happy to support us in that, if they're stuck with just playing ping-pong and foosball and other remnants of this facility's employee amenities. Or perhaps we could even promise to find others of the dragons' species, potential mates for them; if these creatures' needs for food, shelter, and leisure are satisfied, then surely they might be motivated by the drive for procreation. Seven-Spots and Five-Stars are both males and it didn't sound like Six-Spots and Five-Stars are a pair, in any case -- though I guess this is all still making too many assumptions about headsplitter sexuality.
>>
No. 1046739 ID: 5d9787

>>1046737
The comments got somewhat silly but seducing the dragon is a valid strategy to negotiate an exemption from the mutation process. It's in fact the only potentially viable diplomatic solution so far, the alternative is to steal food from the farm.
I don't think Coil should attempt it but I would be surprised if next time we meet Bry he will already have secured special feeding privileges from Seven-Spots.

Your assumptions for evolutionary predilections are reasonable but we don't have enough information to be sure. Also remember that just because the instincts tend to guide someone's predilections toward something useful for successful reproduction it doesn't mean the resulting attraction will be.

>>1046724
I'm not sure corporate civilization will be automatic hostile to the headsplitters. They seem like potentially good trading partners as long as they agree to adhere to some basic rules. If they can behave and be protected from tobak violence they should be safe to walk around the streets.

We do have a mission but, outside the meta understanding of story structure, it's not unreasonable to conclude we already fail our objective. I mean, Telliot is also loyal to his company but here he is with no hope of returning. The only reason we have to believe we could be an exception is the briefcase, but the sequence of events necessary for us to leave with it doesn't seem more likely than it being abandoned outside, traded, the headsplitters being defeated or defeating the invaders.
It's not unreasonable to make decisions that could be beneficial if we have to stay here for a long time even if we would hope to escape.

>>1046723
I'm pretty sure it's already established that he doesn't feel touch on them.

For the people mentioning asexuality: Castration is not a sexual orientation.
The loss of sexual hormones does mean lack of desire, difficulty to perform sexual acts, lack of pleasure from such acts and severe depression because of the unbalance of the brain chemistry. I assume the last one is not necessarily true for an alien specie but the rest seem to fit what was described so far.
>>
No. 1046954 ID: 481e64
File 166620171016.png - (166.59KB , 800x600 , TQ111.png )
1046954

I ask a few more questions to the tobaks first
"Did you guys change mentally after mutating? Are any of you lacking in creativity or drive? Making art, inventing new games, exploring the limits of your home? Do you remember things that used to be important to you before the change that are less important now?"
>"Hmmmm. I don't think we're any less creative but now that you mention it, I think our priorities changed. When we all first got here, we wanted to find a way to escape, but I guess we all just accepted things. I used to miss my friends any family but now I don't even think of them. Oh well. I don't miss paying bills."

>Oh shit Coil already has three dots on his ears.
OH NO IT'S HAPPENING ALREADY! Oh, wait... nevermind those are supposed to be there.

>Also, note that the mutation changes their eyes... I wonder how much it would take for your eyes to change enough to not be embarrassing anymore.
Their pupils seem to be unchanged in terms of shape. I doubt my eyes would change that much, I've tried blinding and gouging my pair out before, but it seems to regenerate the same way every time.

I turn to the dragon, ready to speak with it.
"First off, I suppose I should say my name is Coil and I'm pleased to meet it?"
>"Let's see... Coil, Ruva Exen!"
"Exen!!!"
>"She say's she's pleased to meet you too. From now on I'll just convey every message as though I were Six-Spots, so keep the questions coming."

*[,] Will indicate translated messages*

"Do you know where my friends are? A purple tobak and a sect."
["Tobak went with Seven-Spots. Sect is strange. May be with Five-Stars. Five-Stars collects strange things, he keeps safe."]

"What do you collect us for? As pets? For entertainment? Do you have a use for us?
["I keep safe! Protect from danger. I keep for make friends happy. Seven-Spot and Five star keep for different reasons. Seven-Spot... Not nice. Keep for fighting."]
Seems like Ashley isn't in any immediate danger but Bry might be in some trouble.

"Do you know what this place is?"
["Home for tobaks. Very big and pretty. Safe, lots of food grows. No need to hunt anymore."]

"Do you guys have any interest in visiting civilization?"
["Cannot visit. Many big no-horn tobak. Many Not-tobaks. Not-tobaks bad for us."]

"What do you do for fun?"
["Help Tobak move around habitat. Feed tobak, play with, Keep happy. Keep safe."]

"Thankyou for the food."
["You're welcome! I pat the sides with my tongue to make them cube shaped! This way they stack easy!"]

"I'm looking for a few objects. A briefcase and a container of sect wax. Do you know where those might be?"
["Seven-Spots has big pile where shiny metal goes. he takes big metal movers to use for fighting in pit. Pile near pit. I get clothes to put in clothes pile. Sect wax goes to Seven-Stars. He collects odd things from not-tobaks."]
>>
No. 1046955 ID: 481e64
File 166620174164.png - (184.84KB , 800x600 , TQ112.png )
1046955

"Could you let me go?" She gets a little sad when I ask.
["Why want go? Unhappy?"]
"No-no I just... There is somewhere else I really need to be." She pauses and thinks for a bit.
["Stay please? Unsafe away from dragon."]
"I can't. I'm sorry."
["... I'll let you go if you have to go. Its ok if don't want to be with Six-Spots. I will show you way where Seven-Spots won't catch on way out."]

"Do you have any questions for me?"
["What happened to your hands?"]
"Lost them in an accident."
["Would you like to wear a dress?"]
"No..."
["Would you let me give you a haircut?"]
"I'd prefer it if you didn't"
["May I see your eyes?"]
"N-No!... thankyou."

"I need to take my friends and some of my belongings with me" She becomes visibly distraught when I ask.
["Cannot take tobak from Seven-Spot!. Seven-Spots get upset! Don't want make Seven-Spots upset. Can help get sect friend and some belongings, cannot help get tobak. I'm sorry!"]
"I can't just leave my friend here, I won't go without him."
["Am sorry. Very sorry! I want to help but cannot. Seven-Spots will be mad with me..."]
>>
No. 1046956 ID: 481e64
File 166620177976.png - (257.25KB , 800x600 , TQ113.png )
1046956

A loud crashing noise comes from somewhere in the cavern. This gets the attention of Six-Spots and she begins to move away.
"Where are you going?"
["Sorry! Must go. Need to take care of. Will give thought!"]

It's just me and the mutated tobaks.

>"That was cool. Anyway, welcome to the family, Coil! We got a game of table tennis to get back to. C'mon Pulip."
"H-hey! When is she coming back? I need to leave soon!"
>"Who knows. We got plans sooooo call me when she comes back or whatever."

The bilingual tobak and the mute leave the room. Telliot watches the others leave and turns to me.

"I'm uh... sorry again about your loss."
>"You insinuated that there were three bodies, correct?"
"Yes."
>"There were five of us operating the lighthouse at the time. One of them might have made it out alive."
"Oh. Yeah, I can describe the bodies I saw and you can rule out-"
>"No. I don't want to know. I still want to hold on to the hope that my closest friend made it out all right. Let's get on topic. What was in the suitcase?"
"You didn't open it? It has a light that would turn on and bio-armor which would bind to you if you touched it."
>"Huh. It's a good thing I listen to my hunches. What's in there that's so important"
"A device, like a drive of some kind. There's also a tracking device that went with it."
>"A tracking device? There's likely more than one then."
"There are a few, carried by different people. All are armed and dangerous. I was hoping to get it to where it needed to be before I got captured by these animals... which I mean in the nicest way possible I guess."
>"Where were you delivering it?"
"To a nearby Summit b-..."
>"...What? I don't care what company you work for. I know I'm wearing my old uniform, but that doesn't mean I'm still loyal to the Belo-Dockers. I know you work for Summit, your jury-rigged mechanical hands gave that away. I have no reason to be mad at you, it's not like you were one of the pilots flying those ancient-ass planes that dropped bombs on us for months."
Maybe I shouldn't tell him...
>"You want the suitcase so bad? I can tell you where I put it, and it wouldn't be too difficult to retrieve. I can tell you where your friends are being kept, I know what it feels like to be worried about the uncertain fates of others. What I want to know is how far you are willing to go."
"I'm willing to do whatever it takes, within reason."
>"Alright. I can get you to the case and the sect is likely a twenty-minute hike if she's being kept where we think she is. Your tobak freind on the other hand is going to be a little more difficult to rescue. I have a workshop nearby where I can get your horns trimmed so the dragons can't sense you. I can get you a set of more powerful hands too if you can sit through having your nerves soldered. There's also some decade old canned food if you don't mind the taste of expired stuff."
"You're going to help me?"
>"It's not like I'm expecting nothing in return. Also, this place is kind of boring. I'd recommend you just get the case and get out of here, but it's up to you."
>>
No. 1046958 ID: 180c83

Huh, Telliot's kind of a badass. What does he want in exchange, though?
>>
No. 1046960 ID: 64007d

His help sounds good and new hands are a rare find, but is Six Spots offer of a way out a trap? Why are the rest of you still here?
The tracking device means others may find this place soon. Don’t tell the headsplitters that, they’ll destroy the drive.
>>
No. 1046961 ID: 9a2966

>Six-Spots
Man. Six-Spots sounds fairly innocent, and doesn't insist. Seven-Spots and Five-Stars may be keeping her fairly shielded - or it's more that each dragon has its interests - Seven-Spots' seems to be fighting, while Five-Stars may be the, well, uh, NERD dragon.

Shame Six is so scared of Seven and not-horns - she sounds like she'd be easy to keep pleased as long as Tobaks are with her and doing what she asks.

>Trim horns, better hands, food that isn't Saxum cubes
Those... ALL sound like potentially great things for someone in your situation. Man, where'd he learn to operate on cybernetic hands? You're definitely snagging an upgrade if you can - solder schmolder, no pain no gain! Though, ugh, it means Summit will dock you if you leave them behind. Why can't nice things ever just be nice?

Horn trimming... sounds like it's best saved for when it's time to run away or do a stealth run at something. For now you need your horns to blend, right?

>Plan
You were damn lucky to land in Six-Spots' care and dang lucky to find Telliot, seems like. You could probably easily snag the suitcase and run a this point... but without backup, support, your friend, that just means whoever's coming for it will snag you. At least that's how you justify coming up with some over-elaborate plan to rescue Bry! Assuming he actually needs rescuing and hasn't schmoozed his way into Seven's good graces, somehow.

>Rescue
Sounded like Seven keeps a fighting pit. Could Six be convinced to 'wager' one of her Tobaks (you) against one of Seven's Tobaks (Bry) in a match? Win or lose, you'd join up with Bry that way.

Though first you might want to check up on Ashley. She's probably the one who needs, well, guidance of some kind. Although maybe she'd be fine staying here? If she's not at risk of brainwashing, she might just... find it tolerable to be told what to do by some big alien bossmonster. At least for a while, until she gets into her independence proper. And she wouldn't be a part of this entire hunt thing any longer. Eh. You'll find her and ask.

>Other questions
Does Telliot know how long you were out? You shouldn't take too long - people with trackers are going to try to catch up. You should be somewhat safe here, since there's probably guards and such about, but you want to secure the suitcase before anyone else can infiltrate and launch an attack.

There's... some really bad guys out there, best you can tell.

And of course: what's the catch for his surprising, but welcome, assistance?
>>
No. 1046962 ID: 9a2966

>>1046960
>why are they still here?
Probably language and circumstance. The first one (green shirt, we didn't catch their name) didn't have the benefit of a translator. The glade Tobak doesn't seem to speak the same language. Telliot seems to have been in a depressed funk, so may not have thought of just, you know... asking to leave. Or they may have treated him more harshly than you, who did not have any spirited moments of defiance. So far.

That said, there might've been others who have left in the past? Six seemed sad when you said you would go, and that it would be safer with the dragons. Sounds like she's had people leave and be found dead or hurt later.
>>
No. 1046963 ID: 5d9787

Telliot is offering a lot of favor. Thank him profusely.

I'm surprise they have mechanical hands laying around. It would be nice to get a new pair but we have to consider the pros and cons. The hands we have are worst than real ones in every aspect except punching, but they are also low maintenance, waterproof and not magnetic enough to be manipulated by the dragons.

I guess we have no choice but trimming the horns. Lets delay this unpleasant task until we decide to go to Seven-Spots' base.

We should check on Ashley before Bry. If her living conditions are good this could become her new home, but that is for her to decide. Regardless we have to tell her what is going on.
We should also apologize for making her use a gun she wasn't familiar with. At the time the situation seemed more dire that it turn out to be so we panicked a little. But I want to know what made her smile when two tobaks were throw on top of her.

Considering the circumstances rescuing Bry and recovering the suitcase should be the major priorities, even more than Coil escaping. The suitcase will bring trouble here, so even if we stay that have to go, although we could use the inevitable conflict as part of our escape plans. Bry is a pacifist and a perverted, we can't abandon him to a miserable life of violence and chastity.
When we go after him we will be in conflict with the more aggressive faction, so I there is no coming back.

Six-Spots perspective is more naive but also more adorable than I was expecting. Her doll house is really not a bad deal considering how dissatisfied Coil is with his life beside Bry friendship. I guess we won't have the opportunity to stay with her after annoying Seven-Spot... Pity.
>>
No. 1046964 ID: 9a2966

>>1046963
>will have to annoy Seven-Spots, won't be able to return
I'd say that depends on HOW we annoy Seven-Spots and what actually happens to this place after we leave. For one, we may be able to find something to offer him (or Five-Stars) that could get us the concessions we need (mainly: Bry put in Six-Stars' care, where it'd be easier to escape together).

If we can spin it as a way to contribute to his kind's safety, making him or his people better at fighting - whatever seems to be his schtick - then maybe it's possible to squeak out that kind of concession or trade. They're intelligent, so it shouldn't be impossible to argue a case if you have a translator.

He does, however, seem way more likely to think to Tobaks as tools, rather than adorable pets with opinions. Changing that stance without overwhelming force and a knightess in bio armor on your side will likely be impossible... but maybe you can at some point come back with those things.
>>
No. 1046965 ID: c28082

>>1046956

... you know what? Deal.
>>
No. 1046968 ID: 15c72a

>>1046956
Deal.
>>
No. 1046969 ID: b01382

>>1046956
Lets go with our new buddy's idea!
>>
No. 1046995 ID: f373c9

Know what? Next time we see Six-Spots, or worst case if we dont, let him know to tell Six-Spots we might visit in the future (assuming Seven-Spots doesnt feel like obliterating our skull...)

And new hands? Hell yeah.
>>
No. 1047023 ID: d12415

Take him up on the offer. Just remind him that the longer this takes, the less likely it is that you escape, and the more likely it is that you get rescued, along with all of the violence that entails. Summit needs the case. Summit knows roughly where you are. Summit can figure out which tracker is the case you had based on where you were.

Even if they don't give two shits about you, they need the case and they definitely will be coming in force.

If you could get a working radio, it may be possible to buy some time and circumvent some of the violence, but that could also be intercepted by other actors who may be just as violent and much less willing to negotiate (not that Summit is willing to negotiate, it is more a relative thing).
>>
No. 1047024 ID: d12415

Lets not do the horn-shaving thing. That sounds crippling. Probably would be better to find or make some copper mesh and just wear it as a veil to block the electromagnetic field. Science says this works, and copper shouldn't be that hard to come by. If needed, we could weave a coarse mesh veil out of copper wire to put over our head.
>>
No. 1047025 ID: d12415

Another thought: Rather than just annoying seven-spots directly, we could try and get other uh, fluffy bros (headsplitter seems kind of archaic and misplaced at this point) to be on board with this to help us confront seven-spots. SS is only one individual. If several fluffy bros are unified against him, he should fold.
>>
No. 1047026 ID: d12415

(Sorry for multiple consecutive posts. I keep getting new ideas. Trying to sage all but the first)
>>1046960
The location is likely recorded at set intervals so even if the tracker is destroyed, they will still be able to find it. Destroying it would be useless.
>>
No. 1047027 ID: d12415

>>1046961
>docked hands
Just keep the detached hands after they are removed so you can turn them in later. Also while doing this, check very very carefully to make sure there isn't some sort of transponder built inside the hands that you were not aware of. Could end very badly if, say Fletcher is secretly monitoring that and it suddenly goes dark when it gets disconnected from your body. I know this is super far-fetched, but it doesn't hurt (figuratively, at least) to look and it would prevent some serious complications if it turns out there is something like that.
>>
No. 1047030 ID: 481e64
File 166628159362.png - (375.38KB , 800x600 , TQ114.png )
1047030

He picks up a bag from the other room and begins to move. I follow him.

"What exactly do you want in exchange?"
>"That's to be decided. Probably something for when you get out of here."

"I'm surprised they have mechanical hands lying around."
>"They don't. I will have to tear them off of a deactivated LuneCore scouting robot. It'll take some tinkering, but I've done it before."

"If Six-Spots is just letting tobaks go, why are you guys still here?"
>"Tytch likes it here and Pulip has communication issues. I wasn't given the option to leave. I was originally captured by Seven-Spots and forced to work for him for the better part of the two months I've been here. I had to earn my transfer to Six-Spot's care."
"You were being kept by Seven-Spots? What was that like?"
>"It wasn't great. He would've let me die if I wasn't so useful. He still occasionally comes to me to fix certain things when they break."
"That's news to me. What does he need fixed?"
>"Generators, engines, his light-blocking field, whatever his normal team of mechanics can't fix."
"Come again? What does a dragon need with all that? from what Six-Spots was telling me, Seven-Spots ran some kind of gladiator fighting ring."
>"It's more than that. He likes to put on a show with souped up cars, bikes, and the occasional tank. Sometimes he'll flood the pit so he can orchestrate mock ship battles. He tends to go through tobaks fast, but he keeps around the clever ones who can get stuff done."
"Why did he take Bry but not me?"
>"He made an arrangement with the other dragons. He gets a larger cut of the tobaks they find. The rest goes to Six-spots and non-tobaks go to Five-Stars. Don't know why he took your friend instead of you though."
"Think I could get Six-Spots to wager me in the fighting pit to get my friend back?"
>"You're probably joking but that isn't the worst idea. Seven-Spots does like a good show. I only hope you have confidence in your driving and fighting ability."

"Do you know how long I was out?"
>"Probably no longer than an hour. Most of that time being spent bringing you here."
"I'm still concerned about the people that have followed us here in that time."
>" The tunnels in and out of here are a damn maze, so I doubt anyone will get here before bumping into a few dead ends first. You’ve got time."

"I say deal, at least for most of the proposals. We can iron out the details as we go. I want to thank you again for these favors."
>"Don't worry about it. You seem like an alright guy."
"You sure you don't want to still get out of here?"
>"That ship sailed long ago. I've been hooked on the ambrosia diet, and I won't last long without it. And I don't really mind this life anymore. I kinda miss the intranet though… and videogames. Oh well."

We walk into a large warehouse type building. The markings on the floor seem to indicate that this was some kind of indoor sports area. Clothes litter the ground and pile up to the ceiling.
>"Your clothes are probably still around here somewhere. Find something better to wear, preferably with pockets. Try not to get something too flashy, ok? And don't take too long. When you're done, go to the stairwell at the end of the hall and head all the way down and into the laundry room. From there you'll find a giant washing machine with a hole in the wall behind it. Head through there and you'll find me. There we'll move on with our plans."
"Oh. Alright then."
>"Oh. Also - try to find a pair of goggles. Most pairs will work but try find one that works in the light and also the dark. I'm sure there's one laying around somewhere."

Lotta clothes here. It's always harder to choose when you have lots of options. Looks like we got uniforms from all sorts of companies. Lots of coats. Pants. Gloves... in case my hands get cold, I guess.
>>
No. 1047031 ID: c28082

>>1047030

That maid outfit needs to be set aside. For Bry. Because we know our boy would absolutely rock that thing.

Okay, in all seriousness, Telliot has the right of it: utilitarian is definitely the right way to go, so we don't stand out and can secret things about our person.

After that, give the place a quick glance around then meet up with our new buddy. Hold off on the wagering for now, unless it becomes necessary, as it might be easier to sneak Bry off when attention is elsewhere (such as on one of these apparent circus acts).
>>
No. 1047032 ID: 30b9f6

>Goes through a lot of Tobaks in gladiatorial fights
When he says 'goes through', does he mean...? Man, that's bad. Why couldn't someone have introduced Seven to video games or something? Guess he's at least partially responsible for some of the disappearances that have been going on in the local area if this is his thing.

>Can win Bry back through gladiatorial combat
It's an idea, but let's see how the situation with Ashley is first, before we go risking our life. Maybe our encounter with Five-Stars will give us more clues on how to deal with - or make a deal with - Seven-Spots?

Does Telliot know how long it will be until Seven-Spots puts up another fight? You're somewhat keen to rescue Bry before he has to actively participate in a fight - he's... uh. A pacifist.

>Loot clothes and goggles
You may want to grab gear to make you look like an independent, let you blend in a bit more outside. Or try to return to your Summit roots and grab the bestest most proper coat you can find to make yourself more identifiable to your allies. Pants are whatever, and plentiful pockets in whatever you pick are a DUH.

Speaking of pockets - rifle through pockets while you're searching, maybe there's something interesting been left in them. If you can find your own clothes, there's the stuff you left in them, too, including... Telliot's horn! I wonder how he'll react to receive THAT back, haha.

Definitely try on that skull t-shirt for shits and giggles. As for goggles, just search as best you can. Any decent pair will do as long (as they're not see-through and show your eyes).

>LuneCorp Arms
Are you sure that's such a good idea, considering what you now know of them - and them still being active and hunting down these servers? Who knows if they have ways to get 'their' tech running for them again! Can you - or Telliot - at least make sure these arms won't respond to wifi signals or have receptors for verbal commands? If not, maybe it'd be better to keep your more primitive clunkers.

>Costumes galore
With so many, Six-Spots must really love playing dressup... maybe you could bundle up a spare lightweight outfit - the maid dress, why not - so you (or Bry) can bribe Six-Spots with a spot of dressup if need be? Bry would probably own that dress. Heh, could be how you convince Six-Spots to allow you to do the tournament deal - just say he'd look adorable in it!
>>
No. 1047034 ID: 244451

Well, that maid outfit is technically a good candidate. It has a lot of pockets. If is not a cosplay, the textile will be strong. It's colors are very neutral. Is fast to put on. The short skirt means it won't hinder your movements.

Also, think of Bry's face when he sees you with it!

Now being a little more serious. If you plan to wager, you better make a good impresion. It would be worth to spend some time searching for some kind of military or badass uniform. And that hat in the pile probably would look cool with it.
>>
No. 1047037 ID: 5d9787

Unless you find a good camouflage it doesn't really matter the appearance.
What you need is long sleeves and gloves to make your mechanical hands a little less noticeable from the distance, a few red cloths for when you want to pretend to be independent, a bag accessory of some kind to carry stuff and a good support for heavy objects. So find a jumpsuit in decent shape (if Ashley's clothes are here they should be in good condition) or keep what you are wearing but a get a belt and suspenders.
>>
No. 1047039 ID: c7ece9

>>1047031
Nope, too flashy.
Look for a nice, Summit issue jumpsuit for ruggedness and low visibility.
>>
No. 1047041 ID: 5ded9a

if we cant wear the maid otufit, we should at least take it. Who knows when it will become useful, and i bet it's a good bargining tool!
>>
No. 1047046 ID: 15c72a

>>1047030
One point of concern is that your hands will leave you vulnerable to magnesis even if your horns are gone.
Maybe you can get something cute for Bry? He's probably wearing rags. Uh, something a bit more functional than the maid outfit.

Hmm, let me try something...
Hear feel think
Coil. Can you hear these words? These thoughts that are not your own?
>>
No. 1047047 ID: d12415

>>1047030
See if you can find a platecarrier. Preferably with plates. That and a durable jumpsuit, some boots, some gloves (to hide the hands), and a backpack.

is this a paperdoll moment?
>>
No. 1047053 ID: a9af05

>>1047030
>"Do you know how long I was out?"
>Probably no longer than an hour.
That would mean that you're still somewhat close to the crystals where you were taken. And since it hasn't been that long, that means that your company should still be in the area.

>clothes
Obviously, don't waste time on that maid outfit. You need to get something practical and with lots of pockets. Maybe a backpack if you can find one.

>goggles that work in both light and dark areas
Yeah, try to find 3 of those. That way you, Bry, and Ashley can all see what you're doing.
>>
No. 1047062 ID: 90c451

>>1047053
I don't think Ashley needs goggles, from what I can tell sect don't need them. Still get three though, one for Bry, two for yourself.
Preferably a larger visor over a smaller pair of goggles.
>>
No. 1047068 ID: a9af05

>>1047062
Ashley has told us that she can't really see in the dark, which is why she was unable to shoot the headsplitter that kidnapped us in the crystal fields earlier. She had to get closer to see it, but that allowed the headsplitter to stop her before she could shoot.

So, yes, Ashley needs goggles to help her see in the dark.
>>
No. 1047077 ID: d12415

>>1047068
But the tobak goggles will not work because they make lit things dark. What Ashley needs is some night vision goggles and good luck finding some of those around here.
>>
No. 1047081 ID: 36784c

>>1047077
>tobak goggles
Telliot told us there were goggles that work in both light and dark that should be lying around somewhere. That's not a pair of tobak goggles he's describing.

Those light and dark goggles are what we're going to be give to Ashley so she can see in the dark.
>>
No. 1047083 ID: 5d9787

>>1047081
A pair of goggles that work in both light and dark for tobaks would have to be made with lenses capable of adjusting their level of transparency according to the intensity of the light instantaneously. It would be just black lenses for someone who doesn't have dark vision.

What Ashley would need to see should be dark vision goggles. If I understand correctly those work with a camera and luminous screens in front of the user eyes, so they should solve the sect short distance vision.
>>
No. 1047090 ID: 03382e

You'll need to convince Seven Spots to let you fight in his arena to win your friend's freedom, so consider your choice of costume carefully. You need to look either badass or interesting, because they want entertainment.
Beside, you are rescuing your damsel in distress from a dragon and in front of an audience. You want to look good doing it.

I see there is some caps, try them on. You could affix your horns to the bigger one once they are sawed off to avoir suspicion.
Try to find gloves to hide your mechanical hands.
Now, I know this maid outfit is tempting, but it's better suited to one of yours friends. Keep it around, try it if you want, but don't wear it.
Try to find a military uniform, and something with the Summit logo. The more intimidating the better.
Add an aviator-like scarf if you find one, a red one would help you look like an independant if you need to.
>>
No. 1047092 ID: 36784c

>>1047083
>for tobaks
Once again, the goggles being described are not tobak goggles, since they wouldn't need them to see in the dark.

Remember, one of the headsplitters is collecting aliens that are not tobaks, so it's not that hard to believe that goggles that can be used to see in both light and dark were meant for one of them and not a tobak.
>>
No. 1047094 ID: 30b9f6

>>1047092
Not saying there isn't a point in bringing along extra goggles for other people, but there's a fairly solid reason for Tobaks to sometimes wear goggles even in the dark: the sudden and entirely explicable appearance of blinding light.

Like, say, from a flare gun, a flashlight, gunfire or crazy-ass gladiator shows.
>>
No. 1047095 ID: 180c83

I don't know exactly why someone would make a maid outfit sized for male tobaks, but clearly we need to take it along.
>>
No. 1047097 ID: d12415

>>1047092
Okay, okay, so here is how this works.
•Tobaks see in dark.
•To see in lit environments, goggles strongly dim light
•When wearing the strong-dimming goggles, they can no longer see in the dark (this is seen when Dowser blinds the dude in the last thread).
•Goggles that work in both dark and lit environments intelligently dim when needed, but do not hinder vision in dark areas.
•The end result is still a very dark image meant for tobaks. Aliens will not be able to use them.
•Sect need night vision goggles to amplify the extremely small amount of ambient light.
>>
No. 1047098 ID: 5d9787

>>1047092
Goggles that can be used by tobaks to darken lit areas and aliens to see in the dark? Why would such item exist? The black lenses would be useless to someone who can't see in the dark and the dark vision would blind any tobak wearing it. There is no advantage in having both function on the same item compared to having two separate goggles.

Normal dark vision googles would be useful for Ashley, so looking for one pair is a good idea.
>>
No. 1047102 ID: 743e67

>>1047030
Look for something that has plenty of pockets or a bag of some kind.

>>1047097
>>1047098
>real world logic
You guys realize that this is a world of science-fiction, right? Goggles that are made for non-tobaks and can work in both light and dark are allowed to exist.

It doesn't matter how much you try to say that it's not possible for that to work, if the quest author wants them to exist then they'll exist.
>>
No. 1047103 ID: c28082

>>1047062
>>1047077
>>1047081
>>1047083
>>1047092
>>1047094
>>1047097
>>1047098

Can we please not derail the quest thread? If there's something you wish to discuss, take it to /questdis/ and work it out there. You can find a thread for it here: https://questden.org/kusaba/questdis/res/137538.html[/spoiler]
>>
No. 1047233 ID: 481e64
File 166648093683.png - (245.94KB , 800x600 , TQ115.png )
1047233

>Guess Seven-Spots is at least partially responsible for some of the disappearances that have been going on
That would explain it. I feel bad for the guys getting caught up in it, but I don't have the time or means to rescue all of them... even if that were a good way to get a lot of new friends very fast.


>Does Telliot know how long it will be until Seven-Spots puts up another fight?
Must be pretty frequent if he entertained the idea to begin with.

>Gear to look like an independent.
It might be a good idea not to flash too many company colors. I grab a red piece of cloth and wrap it around one of my tails. I manage to find and equip my jumpsuit, putting it underneath everything in case I need to appear before my allies. I look in my pockets and find the candy bar still there - score! There's also... Telliot’s horn? I almost forgot I kept that.

>rifle through pockets while you're searching, maybe there's something interesting been left in them
I rifle through the pockets in the pile and find lots of different things. Not many useful things... but interesting none the less. Maybe when I return to civilisation, I can find a place to cash in these coupons to get a free smoothie or something.

I search for a pair of goggles and find something specialised. It's programmed to allow them to be used in the dark as well as the light without having to remove them. You'd think that all tobaks would be given a pair of these, but for a multitude of reasons most tobaks avoid using goggles as much as they can.

>That maid outfit needs to be set aside. For Bry. Because we know our boy would absolutely rock that thing.
I bet he already owns one. if not - I'd be very surprised. Also, why did someone make a maid dress that fit a male tobak? Questions aside, it appears to be the cleanest thing here. Still - I'm looking for something else!... even if it's my size...
...I'll take it because it doesn't weight much. I could gift it to Bry (if he doesn't already own one) or I could use it to sway Six-Spots into doing me a favor or two seeing as she likes playing dress up so much.

>Definitely try on that skull t-shirt for shits and giggles
It fits! Physically and stylistically. I’m always a fan of darker clothing.

I try looking for something cool to wear over the shirt and stumble upon a jacket that compliments the shirt pretty well. It has lots of pockets too... maybe too many. The words 'Ghost-Tunnel Raiders' are written on the back alongside a bunch of patches.

Not too flashy, but not too lame either.

I am also able to locate gloves, but I'll put them on later because I can tell they are gonna be hard to take of..

I look for a plate carrier but cannot find one. Likely because they have metal in them.

I find a backpack which is expectedly empty. I take this opportunity to restart my hoarding career from scratch.

>Look badass for arena fight
If I go through with that, I am most definitely going to find a better costume! I wonder if they provide their own costumes? We'll just have to see.


>Goggles for Bry and Ashley.
I pack Bry's old goggles as they are set to a frequency that fits his eyes well. I don't have anything for Ashley's eyesight. Sect are almost blind by default So I feel a little silly about giving Ashley a gun so it's not like they need to worry about being blinded by the light. If she does want to see though, she'll need to find a way to buy cybernetic implants. Maybe we should start a fundraiser.
>>
No. 1047234 ID: 481e64
File 166648095937.png - (226.29KB , 800x600 , TQ116.png )
1047234

>Coil. Can you hear these words? These thoughts that are not your own?

Nice try brain. How could I think a thought that wasn't my own?

>You should go get the case. Doooooo it. Also, maybe go rescue your friends after, yeah? But put on the maid dress first. Weeeaaar the maaiiid dress.

Nay! These thoughts are more intrusive than usual... I knew having an inner monologue was a bad idea.

>I am your gut instinct! That's how you know my advice is good. So, forget Bry and the sect for a minute and get that case first, ok? Get the case and bring it to a nice, secluded area where nobody is around. The best ideas come when you are alone and vulnerable. You listening? Start writing this down!

Why is this sassy voice in my head giving me all this bad advice? Something isn't right here…

>Hey it's good advice. You should do it. Do a backflip too.
>>
No. 1047236 ID: a7a180

That voice is probably the sound of your brain cells dying from exposure to a saxum dragon's magnetic field. You need to get out of here fast.
If you're done looting, it's time to look for Ashley.
>>
No. 1047239 ID: 15c72a

>>1047234
(ah balls. I was trying to confirm a theory... unfortunately this doesn't help to confirm or deny it! I figured we were probably some sort of magnetic entity tied to the planet that's able to hijack a Tobak's brain signals, which would explain why we have two Tobak protagonists AND why Lak keeps reacting to our presence.)
Does that voice sound familiar? Maybe someone managed to hide a transmitter in your ear. Don't trust it, it's too sassy. It might even be coming from that vent over there. If cutting off your horns hides you from the dragons, then someone else could've done it already to follow you in...

Go find some friends, you need backup.
>>
No. 1047241 ID: 182425

>>1047234
... yeah, you are not doing any of that. Ask who this is and how they’re fucking with you. Is this one of the Misters pulling some weird alien psychic bull on you long-distance wise?

If there’s no clear response, start mentally singing the most earwormy annoying song you know. If someone is trying to get inside your head, at least make them pay the price!

Then head off to Telliot and hope this was just some weird blip and not you going all cray of a sudden.
>>
No. 1047256 ID: d12415

>>1047233
>I look for a plate carrier but cannot find one. Likely because they have metal in them.
I will have you know that most armor is ceramic polymer or non-newtonian fluid, and thus non-magnetic. Regardless, if you didn't find one, you didn't find one.

Probably should scratch out the name and patches. We don't want to be targeted because we were wearing a rival gangs clothes.

>>1047234
I suppose this is Mister Amber. No idea how they are doing this though. I suppose the fact that they are trying to work with you (and probably backstab you later) seems to indicate that they can't get it themselves.
>>
No. 1047259 ID: 5d9787

There is already so much going one and now there is a telepath? Another thing on the list of stuff that will screw you and there is very little you can do about it.

One way you can try to combat the intrusion is occupy your mind with thoughts the telepath will feel uncomfortable reading. Try to remember the content of the weird porn folder.
>>
No. 1047260 ID: 36784c

>>1047259
>telepathy
Doubtful.

It might be the same thing that's happening to Dowser. Somehow Coil might be developing his own head space buddy.
>>
No. 1047261 ID: dee951

Look. You live in a reality with a LUDICROUS amount of Mad Science and Weird Technology. There are like, dozens of reasons you could be thinking of bad ideas. And yes, SOMETHING external influencing your thoughts isn't implausible. There are peoples that make weird biotech power armors that permanently bond with people; implanting specific thoughts should be child's play to a civilization that can make those. You've been exposed to heaven-knows-what, as well! You are NOT an expert in either neurology, psychology, biotechnology, neural machine interfaces, nanotechnology, or any of the more esoteric 'weird metaphysics' shit that could do it. Your education has massive gaps in it, and you know it! So don't shoot down merely unlikely explanations as wholly impossible!
>>
No. 1047264 ID: 15a025

It's gotta be one of those misters messing with ya Coil.

Either that or perhaps those goggles have some kinda radio and you're talking to yourself out loud.
>>
No. 1047280 ID: 481e64
File 166650380336.png - (202.72KB , 800x600 , TQ117.png )
1047280

>yeah, you are not doing any of that. Ask who this is and how they’re fucking with you. Is this one of the Misters pulling some weird alien psychic bull on you long-distance wise?
>I am not one of the misters, and I wouldn't worry about those goons for now. I'm not with a company either. I'm a secret third thing!
Stay outta my head! Don't reply to my thoughts, that's my thing!
>And I'm not able to communicate long-distance, I'm closer than you think. I wonder if I can find a jacket that comes in my size...
You're in this room with me?
>Maaaaaybe. I see you looking but you won't find me.

>It might even be coming from that vent over there
>No way! It's grimy in there. Feel free to crawl in and have a look though.

>Does that voice sound familiar?
Not in the least.

>Maybe someone managed to hide a transmitter in your ear. Don't trust it, it's too sassy.
>Hey! Who are you calling sassy!
It can't be a transmitter. A transmitter can't read my thoughts.

>I suppose this is Mister Amber. No idea how they are doing this though.
>Mister?! Do I sound like a mister to you?? I am a lady!
I guess you sound pretty lady like. Your pitch is higher than I'm comfortable with.
>Woooooooow.

>If cutting off your horns hides you from the dragons, then someone else could've done it already to follow you in...
That is to say it had magnetic horns to begin with.
>Nah I don't have a pair of goofy magnetic horns.
Why should I believe you?
>... Ok you're right, I do have horns. And they're bigger than your small horns. Tiny horns. Teeny tiny horns.

>One way you can try to combat the intrusion is occupy your mind with thoughts the telepath will feel uncomfortable reading. Try to remember the content of the weird porn folder.
...That's it, thought intruder! you forced my hand - er - head! take... THIS!
>Huh? What is... oh, dude. That is foul! Where did you find that!?... geez! Neumono are disgusting! Another reason to hate aliens, I guess.
Does that mean you're not an alien?
>I was born on your planet, does that answer your question?
No?
>You won't find us on any other planet.

>start mentally singing the most earwormy annoying song you know. If someone is trying to get inside your head, at least make them pay the price!
I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need~
Heyyyyyyy cut that out pleeeeaaase! Thaaaaanks!

>There is already so much going on and now there is a telepath? Another thing on the list of stuff that will screw you and there is very little you can do about it.
>Screw you? You wish!
It didn't mean it like that...
>I'd have loved nothing more than to stay hidden while you went off to do your little tobak things. But I saw an opportunity presenting itself. You can help me get something I want, I can help you get something you want. I of course mean the case for your friends.
I don't see why I should make such a deal with a lame telepath.
>lame? dude, it took me a hundred years to learn how to do this! I'm making damn sure I get my milage. Admit it's cool! Admit it right now!
>>
No. 1047283 ID: 9e7f25

>>1047280
Yeaaah it's pretty cool. Still have no evidence you're not some stress hallucination but why not humor the humorous head intruder. Wadya want? Freedom or somethin?
>>
No. 1047284 ID: a7a180

it took you a hundred years to learn how to talk using telepathy? Wow, maybe you should have tried using your mouth instead, that would have been much faster.
Disregarding the threat of death if you fail, there's no large personal attachment to getting this case, nothing that requires making a deal with this sentient toe fungus. It looks like you'll be out of range if you just leave the clothes stockpile.
>>
No. 1047285 ID: 5d9787

It's creepy.

(The Rin-Reidas keep manifesting superpowers that make me want to kill them. I might have judged LuneCore too harshly...)

Giving up the case would only be a viable option if I intended to hide here for the rest of my life, and that would be a torturous destiny for Bry so I can't do this. The way things developed I fear I may lose more than my job if I return without it.
>>
No. 1047287 ID: 15c72a

>>1047280
A hundred years? Ok who is this lady? Doesn't sound like an old granny to you does she?
Look around for evidence of footprints or something, and ask what it is she's going to do with the briefcase.
>>
No. 1047290 ID: d176bd

Was this lady watching you change like some kind of creeper?
>>
No. 1047291 ID: a3c5a9

>>1047280
Like, okay, it IS cool, BUT unbidden intrusion of privacy is uncool, so at the moment it balances out? How much of your thoughts and memories are they picking up here anyway? You better not think of - la la la, dansa min venn~

If you’re a hundred years old or more are you a LuneCorp AI thing, or a Rin-Reida or something? Sheez! Everyone really wants this case bad!

>case for your friends
That’s actually an interesting proposition, but you already have a game plan for this thanks to Telliot and your job sooort of hinges on you being able to make it out of here with the case.

Not that you haven’t recently realized you quite dearly want to change up your whole social approach and friends vs job is leaning more towards the former than the latter. Almost dying does that to a person, and you owe Bry big time. But also, most people you are acquainted with are company Tobaks - excepting a few independents - so getting in trouble with work would be problematic on that side, too.

...tell you what - if their aid saves your lives, you’ll consider honoring the request even if it loses you your job and makes everyone mad at you. But it has to be saves-for-realsies! You won’t be taken for a fool when you’re the one taking on all the risks in the first place! On that note, you’d also like an answer to a question: what’d they plan to use this thing for, anyway?

And also... if they’re such a sneaky sneak, can’t they just go steal the case on their own? That’d take the matter entirely out of your metal mitts. Or do the dragons’ magnetic sense beat their admittedly-cool tricks? Are the dragons... cooler?

(You could temporarily take off everything you have on you right now to see if that cuts off the connection to the voice. They’re in your head - but maybe something you picked up allows it?)
>>
No. 1047295 ID: 244451

This sounds like rin reida to me, maybe she is in the ceiling?

Also, about the deal you should check the real situation first... and think about it when some telekinetic stalker is not reading your brain.
>>
No. 1047298 ID: d12415

>>1047280
Okay, so this is a shot so long it is going to the fucking moon, but hear me out.
This could be a female headsplitter that is doing... something. For direct telepathy, you don't necessarily have to speak the same language to communicate. Your brain might translate intention into words by itself. Anyway, here is what we know.
•We know they are a local, not an alien species
•We know they have large horns
•We know they are female
•We know they are somewhat dismissive of tobaks
(>doing little tobak things)
•We know they are old as fuck if they took 100 years to learn how to do this.
(granted, this one could be a figure of speech)

Here is what we can infer:
•The "little tobak things" line seems to indicate they are much larger than a tobak.
•They say they learned how to do this, which means it probably isn't tech.

By process of elimination, this seems to point to this being a female headsplitter that is talking to us. It is out there, but it is the only conclusion that remains with the least unknowns. It also seems likely that headsplitters live several orders of magnitude longer than tobaks.

I wonder what might be hiding in the huge, headsplitter-sized mound of clothes Coil is looking towards in the last frame?
>>
No. 1047301 ID: 4cd7fd

Maybe she is hiding in the cloth pile. Maybe that dress is hers, it does seem newer. Try giving it to her as a peace offering.
Anyway, no deal. You are not making a deal with a voice in your head. It starts with reasonable request and it ends with trading pieces of your psyche or something.
If she shows herself you'll hear her out. She can read your mind, she knows you have no intention to attack her.
>>
No. 1047302 ID: a3c5a9

>>1047298
You’re probably not wrong they’re hiding in the cloth pile, but I doubt they’re a dragon. The thing about having horns was clearly sarcasm. Plus the dragons don’t seem aware about the misters or the case. This must be someone who has been spying on you from before you encountered the dragons!
>>
No. 1047307 ID: 5d9787

>>1047298
Without the meta knowledge from a different protagonist this is a reasonable guess.
>>
No. 1047308 ID: d12415

>>1047302
Here I interpreted it as them saying they have horns, just not magnetic horns. Which I suppose could still potentially rule out a dragon depending on if their horns are magnetic or not.

The knowing about the misters thing is one thing I missed though. So what does that leave then? Belenos can sometimes do weird fucky things. It could be one of them. I can't remember what their lifespan is like though.
>>
No. 1047309 ID: d12415

>>1047308
Did research. Belenos seem to have human lifespans. No fucking clue at this point.
>>
No. 1047311 ID: c28082

>>1047280

Kind of hard to admit anything to nothing at all, you know?

So enough with the theatrics. Pop out, show yourself, and we can mind-talk like proper, civilized not-aliens. Or whatever.
>>
No. 1047313 ID: a1d499

>>1047280
Fucking god damn ugly ass, punk ass, knuckle dragging disgusting multi-linbed rabbit bug thing. I wonder if insults will do anything. Im not good with insults.

Your mother was a vegetable and your father a rock fucker?
>>
No. 1047323 ID: 481e64
File 166655762724.png - (288.54KB , 800x600 , TQ118.png )
1047323

>This could be a headsplitter messing with you
>A headspl- no! I don't actually have horns, I was kidding.
Oh, ok. My next theory was that you were a Belenos.
"A Belenos? Hah! Nah. Though we might share more similarities than you might think."

>it took you a hundred years to learn how to talk using telepathy. Wow, maybe you should have tried using your mouth instead, that would have been much faster.
>Why talk when getting in people's heads is so much more fun?

>A hundred years? Ok who is this lady? Doesn't sound like an old granny to you, does she?
>A hundred years is nothing! I could potentially live forever, it’s not like I age. Believe it or not I'm actually one of the younger ones by comparison.
Oooooold.
>Shush!

>Look around for evidence of footprints
>You won't find anything like that on the floor. I prefer to move around on the ceiling, it's much more sanitary.

>This must be someone who has been spying on you from before you encountered the dragons!
>I've not been following you for that long! I only just got here by following the signal. I overheard you speaking about the case and followed you from there.

>You could temporarily take off everything you have on you right now to see if that cuts off the connection to the voice
>Ew! keep your clothes on!
That's not what it meant.
>Still, I assure you, no object is making this happen.

>Maybe that dress is hers, it does seem newer. Try giving it to her as a peace offering.
>Th-that's ok! It’s a little too big for me. You can keep it, I think you'd look better in it anyway.

>ask what it is she's going to do with the briefcase.
>I'll hand it off to my boss. I'm not completely sure what's in it, but it seemed important enough to warrant some big operation to retrieve it.
Does that mean you're not alone?
>Far from it. I'm... alone right now as I'm the first one to make it here, but there are more on the way.

>Was this lady watching you change like some kind of creeper?
>I looked away, I know how to be polite!
Suuuuure.

>How much of your thoughts and memories are they picking up here anyway?
>Only what you're thinking right now. I'm not at the stage when I am able to read or share memories with others. Maybe in a few hundred more years.
Oooooooold
>I prefer the term ‘Vintage’
>>
No. 1047324 ID: 481e64
File 166655765611.png - (330.87KB , 800x600 , TQ119.png )
1047324

>enough with the theatrics. Pop out, show yourself, and we can mind-talk like proper, civilized not-aliens. Or whatever.
>Fair enough. Doing this for too long gives me a headache.

"Alright, up here!"
I look over to the top of the clothes pile where I heard the voice coming from. I then watch the uncloaking of a figure who proceeds to remove a section of a bodysuit that was covering the head. Steam comes out of the suit, and I can now tell that the one I have been speaking to is a Rin-Reida.
"Whew! These suits get hot. What? not what you expected?"
"I didn't know you guys were telepathic and could live forever."
"We also regenerate while never getting sick. Lots of people don't know stuff about us. That's just the way we used to like it."
"Why don't I see many of you guys around?"
"There's just not a lot of us left. We've tried to bring our numbers up but it's more challenging than you'd think."
She picks up a jacket from the pile and tries putting it on. It doesn’t fit that great.
"It fits fine! Ok – maybe not. But I still look good in it."
"Hey, hold on... Where are your goggles? I thought you guys couldn't see in the dark"
"Who needs goggles when you've got implants! They work like a charm... mostly."

"Listen... head invading Rin-Reida. I already had a plan to get the suitcase and my friends out of here. While I appreciate the interesting offer, I'll probably go with my original plans."
"That's fine. It's not like I was ordered to strike up any sort of deal with you. I just figured we could collaborate rather than get all cutthroat off the bat. When things are going down later on, there won't be many to help you get your friends out. I figured you could use an ally when things get rough."
"An ally?"
"In exchange for helping me get that boring old case. That's all."
"Who exactly are you? And who are you working with?"
"My name is Rilda. I am a scout for an organization interested in the research and discovery of Saxum, and I'm not working alone. There is a handful of others out and about working behind the scenes. If we don't end up being on the same side, it's no biggie. We won't hurt you because we aren't exactly the guns blazing types, we prefer being a little more inconspicuous. I mean look at me, I'm not even armed! My role is more about gathering intel."
"Why can't you get the case on your own if you got the resources?"
"You'll see why sooner or later."
"I... look. Could you give me time to decide? I need to know what the full situation is."
"Have it your way. Whatever happens, let the best case hunter win, eh?"
>>
No. 1047325 ID: 5d9787

(That is it, I'm in full support of LuneCore. Extermination is the only option for a bunch of manipulative immortal invisible telepaths!)

This revelation derail everything. Now we don't have time to do everything we were planing and even if we agree to betray our company there is no guaranty she will fulfill her part of the agreement or that we will receive any help at all if she find the case before us. I don't even want to reconsider all the plans we have to adapt.
Not even the dumb "thinking with your dick" justify trusting her. Even though she made all those innuendos and intentional misinterpretations her looks are not at all what Coil is interested in.
So we either agree and hope everything somehow work out or refuse and hope everything somehow work ou? At this point I will consider a success if we manage recue Bry, but I'm very fearful we will have to become fugitives from our own company.
>>
No. 1047326 ID: e7c7d3

>>1047323
That a tobak hand sticking out of the pile? Did a corpse get tossed out with some clothes?
>>
No. 1047327 ID: d12415

New top priority is giving a sitrep to our company. Tell them that there is a new faction in play and that one of their agents has made contact with you. Tell them they are a telepath (somehow) and any cyphers you use risk becoming compromised. Ask them whether they want you to use the cypher anyway or not.

After that, tell them that the case is out of your reach since anything you think is compromised. Tell them it is up to them to decide what to do from there.

This is the best we can do. There are no other options because any scheming or planning is intercepted by this chick.
>>
No. 1047330 ID: 15c72a

>>1047324
Ah, so that's why they were hunted down. Very hard to keep secrets from a telepath, after all... maybe some of them learned something they shouldn't have, and it spread uncontrollably.

Anyway, ask her for an agreed upon location where you can meet up after you do your own scouting.
>>
No. 1047332 ID: 9a2966

>Invisibility
Now that's a neat trick! Could she pretend to be a cave ghost if she turned it on again while wearing that jacket or will the new coat vanish too? Heh, that'd be a nice prank.

>Rilda
Anyway, hello. You're Coil. Nice meeting them and not fighting, you guess!

>We just want the case, can't get it myself
Then you'll try to get the case and maybe talk again later, sounds like.

>Questions
Anyway, you kinda wanna get moving. Unless she REALLY wants to know something or pitch something in an actual tit-for-tat, in which case... maybe just speak straight, rather than fish for free mind-reader intel and risk you unloading more horrible mental memory vistas? This is not an idle threat - that porn thing was TODAY years old and you've got a LIFETIME to work with here!

Though, you DO have a couple questions of your own that may be relevant. Of personal interest, if nothing else. She hasn't seen this creepy Tobak around, has she? Or know what this 'The Board' is? The Misters spoke of it.

(mentally envision said creepy Tobak)

>Sitrep to company on Rin-Reida
There's no way they don't know. The up toppers in the corp would probably have all kinds of juicy intel about Saxum and the Rin-Reida. There's no way Rilda would've let actual super-secrets of her kind slip if there's a chance we could get away and report them, after all!
>>
No. 1047333 ID: dee951

Sigh. What is with physically intimidating women being so hot around you? This is getting annoying. Maybe the horniness for women that could fold you in half is a stress reaction?
>>
No. 1047335 ID: f3a2ce

>>We also regenerate while never getting sick.
Well geeze, why don't you fly and shoot lasers out your eyes while you're at it. Are you part plant or something? At least you're all tiny and fragile.

You're not leaving Bry or Ashley and you need the case lest this whole debacle be for nothing, disappoint Fletcher, probably be fired and your hands get repossessed.

Maybe we could tell her we know what's in the case? I feel like this will become a very dangerous adversarial relationship if we don't find some way to work together.
>>
No. 1047342 ID: 5d9787

>>1047333
She is tiny. Unless she also have superstrength she can't fold Coild in half.
>>
No. 1047356 ID: 5b1723

Heh, we have a detail. Should you get the case, stay with a group.

Either way, here's a tactic or so for you to use.
"Hate aliens? Lunecore was aliens, so were the ones who stopped Lunecore. Why hate the ones that stopped Lunecore?"
"Well Miss Superpowered Fancypants, why do you need help? What can a lowly regular do that yer oh-so-superior powers + gadgets fail to do?"

She'd have to clam up to not give useful details. Oh, do keep up the irreverence because her pride is getting her to leak intel. Quite a bad trait for covert ops. With 100 years, she should be better so perhaps that was a lie.
>>
No. 1047360 ID: f4beea

>>1047324
Tell her you knew she was up there this whole time. You saw the dent of a very large butt on the top of the pile clothes and that gave away that she was sitting up there.

Obviously we didn’t know she was there, but making her think we knew would mess with her and make her think her camouflage isn't all that great.

She's gonna try and take the briefcase for herself, but we need to make sure we keep it and bring it back to Fletcher.

Is there some way we can get her help while making sure she doesn't run off with the briefcase?
>>
No. 1047361 ID: 5d9787

>>1047360
Sure, try to lie to a telepath for no reason. Why not?
>>
No. 1047364 ID: b01382

>>1047324
Ask if shes single.
>>
No. 1047371 ID: dee951

>>1047342

It's about fitness and onviously she's not baseline, so you aren't discrediting the super-strength thing. She's *enhanced*. No one gets to 'immortal, immune to senescence, regenerates limbs, immune to disease' without a ton of other optimizations. She probably has a minor superspeed and can likely framejack/enter bullet time or something. She's also absolutely rocking that unreasonably sexy stealthsuit, that thing had to be made with 'aesthetics for when it's deactivated' in mind, or else it would've squished the chest area more!
>>
No. 1047374 ID: 06cb07

She can't be that old if she is always telling "of course i'm old and experimented". She does not really act like an old lady. Or look like one.

And let's not go all "genocide the telepaths !" just yet. She hasn't done anything yet and she agreed to show herself to talk peacefully. She tried to negotiate rather than stay invisible and strangle Coil, at least try to negotiate back.
Beside, compared to the rest of the wildlife telepathy and eternal youth isn't that threatening. I mean, what are they gonna do with it, outlive other species to death ?

That doesn't mean you should give her the suitcase. Fletcher is counting on you, you don't want to disappoint her. And you don't need her help, you already have a plan and an ally.
>>
No. 1047376 ID: 64f97b

>>1047374

Sure she can be that old. Haven't you heard of medical nanomachines? Genetic engineering for longevity? Cloned replacement body parts? Telomere repair? There's a ton of techniques!
>>
No. 1047377 ID: 06cb07

>>1047376
That's true, but that technology wasn't there before the aliens came to Saxum, and they have not been there for that long if I understand correctly ?
I mostly say that because of how she acts, maybe I'm completely wrong.
>>
No. 1047395 ID: f8273a

>>1047361
The lie isn’t important. It's the insult towards the size of her butt that she's supposed to react to.
>>
No. 1047405 ID: c642be
File 166665738003.png - (24.11KB , 859x473 , the love.png )
1047405

"I hope this girl doesn't try to hurt my friends to get that briefcase. Especially Bry. He's always been a trusting sort. He also likes non-tobak girls. You know, this Rin-Reida girl is probably his type. I wonder if he'd kiss her. I wonder if I'd kiss her. Huh? What? No! But, well, what if?" MMCHUIK
>>
No. 1047435 ID: d12415

>>1047376
Could also just naturally have a really really long lifespan, like elves or something.
>>
No. 1047445 ID: 084179

>>1047405
This is too cute. Okay. my new otp.
>>
No. 1047450 ID: 8483cf
File 166668115393.png - (50.02KB , 859x1000 , Rin-Meida.png )
1047450

Think hard on this one, Coil. Why should you wear the maid outfit when Rilda clearly rocks it better?
>>
No. 1047451 ID: 9e7f25

God it gets so weird in here
>>
No. 1047453 ID: b01382

>>1047450
I've been convinced. Lets try and convince her to wear the outfit. If she does, she could earn points with Six Spots.

>>1047451
When is it never not weird here? This is an alien quest.
>>
No. 1047464 ID: 283db5

>>1047405
Awww... That's adorable.
>>
No. 1047466 ID: 283db5

>>1047450 Coil, you need to focus on that picture.

Also, do you sense other tobaks around ? It looks like there is a claw sticking out of the cloth pile in >>1047323, but I'm not sure it's Rilda if she really was sittig at the top of the pile all along.
>>
No. 1047471 ID: 422cea

>>1047450
Six legs? Why that's... Five vaganias.

Maybe more...
>>
No. 1047480 ID: d12415

>>1047471
No.

Also they might have something completely different and alien.
>>
No. 1047485 ID: b01382

>>1047480
A hole is still a hole, and it looks like boobs are a universe constant. Thank god.
>>
No. 1047486 ID: 3e76b8

>>1047485
>>1047471

Oh my gawwd. You two are horrible.

Look, I'm all for appreciating the aesthetics of... ahem, very healthy individuals. But let's not get unreasonably vulgar, eh?

That said, a telepath should understand the concept of 'a person may have difficulty controlling their thoughts, but they can control their actions'. Still. Let's not intention broadcast offensive things unless you make the active decision to escalate hostilities, eh?
>>
No. 1047487 ID: 5d9787

>>1047486
Are all comments his thoughts? Even if we exclude things that don't make sense in universe Coil already expressed plenty of opinions that don't match the suggestions.
I was pretty sure the sexy spiderbunny wouldn't arouse any feelings from him. He was into standard female tobak and had some sexual confusion in relation to Bry. Is he reevaluating his tastes?
>>
No. 1047496 ID: 7c0da2

>>1047486
They probably are used to people thinking inappropriate thoughts precisely because they realize they shouldn't. It's hard not to think about something when you are thinking about not thinking about it.
But that's not a reason to be rude of course.
>>
No. 1047497 ID: 15c72a

Rin-Reida are small and Coil's not into small girls anyway.
>>
No. 1047503 ID: 084179

>>1047497
what a shame, she looks cute.
>>
No. 1047513 ID: b01382

>>1047324
>that Resident Evil 4 Leon coat
Okay that actually looks a little cooler than what we have. Can we have it? Also are there any nest pieces of loot here?

By the way don't open the suitcase. There's a suprise inside, and we want to get it out first before we figure out what to do with everything else going on.
>>
No. 1047514 ID: 5d9787

>>1047513
The level of self sabotage... Why?
>>
No. 1047516 ID: 15c72a

I wonder if we could use the bioarmor to kill seven-spots? Sneak up while it's sleeping and just slap it with it. We'll have to do some investigating to find out how its Tobaks would react to that, and what the other two dragons would do in response. Six-spots doesn't like seven-spots very much but they're siblings, which might still cause some grief and retaliation. Though, at that point we might be able to just run away.
...it occurs to me that food supply might become somewhat of an issue. As in, the dragons are supplying food to converted Tobaks, and I imagine there is some limit to how fast they can produce that stuff. We'd have to make sure the remaining two dragons can manage to take in seven-spots' tobaks.

Oh... this might be impossible, since seven-spots might be able to rip one of Coil's arms off in retaliation while the bioarmor is eating it. If we can find a weapon strong enough to oneshot it from a sleep attack that could work but having two cybernetic hands is a serious problem. Unless the new ones aren't magnetic? Then again we don't know how well Dragons can use their magnesis while under stress, like the severe pain of bioarmor digging itself into their flesh.
>>
No. 1047518 ID: cf9629

>>1047326
That is a glove.
>>
No. 1047533 ID: 481e64
File 166680844823.png - (250.33KB , 800x600 , TQ120.png )
1047533

>>1047405
>>1047450

"O-oh... My god. I... Y-you..."
She starts to blush.
"Y-You've got quite the imagination on you, huh? This is one of the downsides to telepathy they don't tell you about. You're lucky you can't see what's in my mind."

"You even knew about the embarrassing birthmark..." >even if it's in the wrong place.

>That was probably a guess and I shouldn't have said that...

"Ah... sorry about that. It's hard to filter certain thoughts sometimes."
"I get it... some people have difficulty controlling their thoughts, so actions are the only thing that matter but-"
>Awww... That's adorable.
>Sssssh! Is not!
>she looks cute.
>I Do noooooot! I do not look cute in a maid dress! certainly not!

She is blushing really hard now
>You have made no such observation! Don't make me go invisible again!
She's blushing... pink?
>Well duh. My blood is red!
Red? Everyone from this planet has blue blood...

She shakes her head and regains her composure.

"Anyways..."
>>
No. 1047534 ID: 481e64
File 166680848365.png - (342.86KB , 800x600 , TQ121.png )
1047534

>Anyway, hello. You're Coil. Nice meeting them and not fighting, you guess!
>A pleasure to meet you Coil.

>do you sense other tobaks around?
I seem to be alone.
>That a tobak hand sticking out of the pile?
That seems to be a glove.

>Now that's a neat trick! Could she pretend to be a cave ghost if she turned it on again while wearing that jacket or will the new coat vanish too? Heh, that'd be a nice prank.
>I'd have to take the jacket off otherwise it'd just look like a haunted floating jacket.

>Can we have the coat?
>Knock yourself out. She takes off the coat and throws it down to me.

>Very hard to keep secrets from a telepath
>So long as you're not thinking about secrets in the current moment, you're fine. Say... why do you cover your eyes?
Nice try.

>What is with physically intimidating women being so hot around you?
>I'm physically intimidating? I apologize if I make you feel this way, but I am significantly smaller than you! Not to mention that I pose no serious threat. I don't even have weapons or claws sharp enough to scratch you with.

>>We also regenerate while never getting sick.
>Well geeze, why don't you fly and shoot lasers out your eyes while you're at it. Are you part plant or something?
>Admittedly there was some obfuscation there on my part. In reality we don't regenerate as much as we can heal quicker than most and can recover lost limbs. As for the never getting sick thing, it's not like we are immune to everything, it's more that all of our viruses and infectious diseases have gone extinct.
How in the world did that happen?
>Because of circumstances that would take too long to explain in a single head chat.


>Though, you DO have a couple questions of your own that may be relevant. Of personal interest, if nothing else. She hasn't seen this creepy Tobak around, has she? Or know what this 'The Board' is? The Misters spoke of it.
>(mentally envision said creepy Tobak)
>Creepy tobak... Oh- You mean him. Yeah, I've spotted him. I even tried to read his thoughts and it's just... really cold and calculating in there, thinking about ideas, concepts and abstracts constantly. I couldn't gather much of use or understand him any better. All I know is that he's smart - certified genius level smart. His name is Lak and you should avoid him when possible. As for the board? Not sure who they are.

>Hate aliens? Lunecore was aliens, so were the ones who stopped Lunecore. Why hate the ones that stopped Lunecore?
>That whole situation is pretty complicated once you get down to it. Without getting too into it or being too reductive, all I'll say is that these companies all have the potential to be the new LuneCore, who didn't start off an evil corporation mind you. You ever hear that old Earth saying? 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions?'

>Tell her you knew she was up there this whole time. You saw the dent of a very large butt on the top of the pile clothes
>I can read your thoughts you know! I know what you were thinking at the time. You couldn't see my large butt because it was too invisible!

>Ask if she’s single.
>I'm keeping myself available for the time being, sure. Here's another fun Rin-Reida fact for you; We are monogamous and pair for life, only changing partners if one dies. So, when pairing up with somebody, you gotta make sure it'll last.

>She's *enhanced*. No one gets to 'immortal, immune to senescence, regenerates limbs, immune to disease' without a ton of other optimizations.
>I do have some enhancements in a way, so you're not far off! Most of it is genes more than anything.


>Fletcher is counting on you, you don't want to disappoint her. And you don't need her help, you already have a plan and an ally.
>Ooooooh looks like somebody has a crush!
Hey! S-shut up!
"Ugh, look... I've got my original plans and I'm sticking with them. I expect things to get in the way, and if they do, maybe then I might consider seeking you out for a change of plans. Do you have a meeting place?"
"I'm glad you're considering a team-up at least. You're not as short-sighted as the average tobak! Well, if you want to seek me out, I will be on top of the water tower at centre of the compound. I'll be keeping watch for my guys, but if you stand at the base, I'll come down and talk to you."
"Best of luck, then."
"You too, Coily-coil."
>>
No. 1047535 ID: 9a2966

Well... that certainly was an encounter!

Let's be off, find Telliot, and try not to think too many crazy thoughts for a bit. Like genuinely finding such a slight, different-species woman attractive, or at least fun to tease.

>Everyone from this planet has blue blood
Not Rin-Reidas, apparently! Or maybe... they're originally not from Saxum? Might explain some things, like why there's not a lot of pathogens that target them.

>Not as short-sighted as the average Tobak
As a species you ARE rather happy to do work as long as you're happily fed. If you had to guess, the corporations have actually co-opted the Saxum Dragons' gimmick!

>Creepy Tobak
Lak. Guess you have a name for the creeper. And he's clever enough to make this old telepath leery, huh? Your choice of not tangling with them seems to have been wise, but... what will you do if you encounter them again?

>Any company has the potential to become LuneCorp
Did she indirectly imply the thing everyone's after is what made LuneCorp become LuneCorp? Or rather, this "hangar" place mentioned. Hm. That illegal CAI thing must be pretty powerful, huh! And then there was also...

>"And you'll get to know about why they killed all those Rin-Reida."
Next time you meet, you could ask what makes her think her organization will be the exception and the better keeper to this suitcase and what it contains.
>>
No. 1047536 ID: 244451

Can you have her contact number? Or one way to contact her. It could be usefull to ask for help faster (and maybe to hang on if everything ends ok)
>>
No. 1047537 ID: 5d9787

>Everyone from this planet has blue blood...
The animal limb Dowser fed Kiero had red blood. Even the headspliter tong is pink. The only specie we've seen so far with blue blood is the tobak.

I didn't even knew we were trying to seduce Rilda but I guess that was a success: She seemed very happy about your naughty thoughts, admitted to imagining something even more embarrassing and even explained what a relationship with her would require.
>... only changing partners if one dies.
Since you're gonna live less than her that should be a point in your favor, a less daunting compromise. Although she might not be too happy about being with someone who canonically have a crush on everything. Remember how even that asshole neumono was kind of cute?

Are we still planing to do everything? I would hate to leave Ashley hanging but if there is already competition looking for the suitcase maybe we should hurry up.
>>
No. 1047551 ID: b01382

>>1047534
Damn, if only she were taller. Shes cute.
>>
No. 1047553 ID: 7c0da2

"Coily-coil"? Well now you need to think of a name for her too. It's only fair.

On a more serious note she probably started following you in the bunker (where she met Lak) and she had to be on the bike to be able to follow you here. That means she heard your conversation with Fletcher and knows that a team is coming to meet you. Worse, she knows the sign-countersign code because you thought about it. That's not as bad as it could be, depending on how hard it is to counterfeit Summit uniform and if her team has the means and time to disguise themselves, but you need to be wary of people pretending to be your rescue team. As nice as she is, she still needs that suit case.

For now wear the coat she gave you and go meet Telliot. Don't forget to take the maid outfit with you or it might mysteriously go missing while you are not looking.
>>
No. 1047559 ID: 15c72a

>>1047534
Let's move. Get those horns cut and those new hands put on. Ask about the magnetic properties of both sets of hands.
>>
No. 1047562 ID: 9a2966

>>1047559
Horn cut time is for when we leave.

We shouldn't do it until we're ready to leave or to try to infiltrate/sneak somewhere within the compound. If spotted hornless, probably the Saxum dragons and their minions are gonna try to put restraints on Coil. Anyone wandering around with shorn horns would be up to sneaky and/or running away business, after all.
>>
No. 1047573 ID: d12415

>>1047562
Ugh, can we please try to just go with the faraday mesh wrap first before we resort to permanently maiming?
>>
No. 1047577 ID: 15c72a

>>1047573
We can probably just glue them back on later...
>>
No. 1047591 ID: 5d9787

>>1047573
The faraday mesh wrap would only work if it's made of a room temperature superconductor.
I suggested that because I though the headsplitter was capable of influencing tobak's minds through magnetic signals, that doesn't seem to be the case.
It would only help by preventing Seven Spots from puling our horns in different directions, he would still be able to lift us by attracting the cage.

Unfortunately I can't imagine any viable alternatives.
>>
No. 1047592 ID: a320af

>>1047534
The weirdest thing about this whole interaction is that she admitted that she has a large butt. Normally women get offended by something like that.
>>
No. 1047595 ID: b01382

>>1047533
>>1047534
>that blush
>that cute disposition
>very adorable and approachable
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9_d-sFhmRM
If you leave me now
You'll take away the biggest part of me
Ooh, no, baby please don't go

And if you leave me now
You'll take away the very heart of me
Ooh, no, baby please don't go
Ooh, girl, I just want you to stay
Her reactions to Coil's inner thoughts are funny
>>
No. 1047622 ID: a27bd2

Do your horns grow back? Is there a way to attach them back or get a replacement ? Do you think Rilda would find you less attractive without them ?
>>
No. 1047630 ID: 9b0053

>>1047534
Now that she's gone, let's get back to what we were doing. I'm sure Telliot is wondering what's taking us so long.
>>
No. 1047641 ID: 2a4376

*GAAAASP*
She's got an embarrasing birth mark.
She's got an embarrassing birth mark too, Coil!

Forget whether or not we date her, we gotta hang out with this girl more often! Not many folks can undertand....

We really should hurry to make our final preparations with Telliot and Six-Spots to go to the rescue.

We should go to Ashley first, she might be easier to get a hold of.
>>
No. 1047850 ID: 15a025

It's a shame, but it seems we really will need to saw off our horns if we want a chance at getting out.
>>
No. 1047856 ID: 15c72a

>>1047855
what the fuck are you talking about
>>
No. 1047867 ID: dee951

>>1047850

Dude. We think that horns MIGHT be a means of being tracked long range. Let's not be hasty, eh? We need a bunch more information on this. Do horns grow back? By what mechanism can they track or be tracked? Does this extend to other parts of the body with similar structures? Does surrounding them with aluminum or tin or lead foil stop the signal in any way?

We need more data before making any decisions!
>>
No. 1047888 ID: 5d9787

>>1047867
What? No, we have to cut them because they are magnetic enough for the headsplitter to lift us. Unless you know a reliable way to remove the magnetic properties of something with a simple accessory cutting them is the best we can do.
>>
No. 1047903 ID: 481e64
File 166717087847.png - (325.32KB , 800x600 , TQ122.png )
1047903

>Well... that certainly was an encounter!
Certainly was... I wonder if she can still read my mind if I wrap my head in tin foil. something to try for next time.

>maybe... they're originally not from Saxum?
How can that make sense? They've been here long before the uplift - there are old tobaks that were around then who could tell you that. Rin-Reida haven't been found or encountered on any other planet, so what gives?

>As a species you ARE rather happy to do work as long as you're happily fed. If you had to guess, the corporations have actually co-opted the Saxum Dragons' gimmick!
Well... yeah! Tobaks have always followed strong leaders, even if they aren't tobaks. Saxum Dragons don't have candy bars or big vehicles so they can't really compete.

>Next time you meet, you could ask what makes her think her organization will be the exception and the better keeper to this suitcase and what it contains.
I'm curious about that as well. I'm sure she has a reason to trust who she trusts.

>Mudskimmers have red blood and headsplitters have pink tongues
That's true, but everything still has blue-ish blood. Mudskimmers have a very dark purple which looks red enough in the light maybe. Not sure why Six-spots has a pink tongue, must be something to do with what she eats.

>I didn't even know we were trying to seduce Rilda
I was? If I was, all my stray thoughts were doing all the work. Sadly, she isn't my type.

>Well now you need to think of a name for her too. It's only fair.
Maybe next time we meet. Usually, I’m all about coming up with nicknames but I haven’t been feeling it much lately.

>On a more serious note, she probably started following you in the bunker (where she met Lak) and she had to be on the bike to be able to follow you here.
I don't know about that. She would have had plenty of time to take the case and run if she was following us that long.

>wear the coat she gave you
Sure, why not.

I follow the directions that Telliot gave me into the laundry room where I find the hole in the wall he was talking about. I step inside to a large rocky tunnel which goes on for several bends before leading me into a closed cavern. I see a few rudimentary constructs with parts and salvage laying about. I see Telliot in front of a work bench.

>"Took you long enough."
"What is this place?"
>"My workshop. I built it back when I still had the will to escape. Ignore all the incomplete projects."

I decide now is as good a time as any to hand him his severed missing horn.
"Here. I found this when I looted the lighthouse. I figured I could use it as a shiv or something..."
>"Is this... No way. Huh! I never thought I'd see this again."
He raises it up to his head, connecting it to where is used to be.
>"Looks like it has my old color in it. It's weird that you decided to bring it with you, but I'm glad you did.”
He gets some glue and reattaches it.
>” It’s nice being symmetrical again. Maybe now they'll stop calling me 'unicorn.'"

>"So... about your own horn trimming."
"Do I have to get my horns cut off?"
>"If the idea of getting torn in half by magnetism doesn't appeal to you, it might be your best choice."
"I like my horns though."
>"I can reattach them with glue after I hack them off."
"Do you have to cut them off all the way?"
>"…Maybe not. Only about ninety percent of the way where all the nerves are."
"Won't that hurt?"
>"Yeah. I can make it painless if you let me cut them off all the way though. When I shot mine off, I could barely feel a thing."
"There's really no other way?"
>"You could test your luck with the dragons if you prefer."

"Do they grow back?"
>"...What do you think?"
"...Right."
>>
No. 1047906 ID: 15c72a

>>1047903
The painless way, if you can put them back on after.
Also ask about the cybernetic hands being a magnetism vulnerability like your horns would be.
>>
No. 1047907 ID: a7a180

That's a pretty extreme measure. I think we should avoid it until all other avenues are exhausted. Speaking of, poke at all the unfinished projects. Having something to work on is good, and the sooner you start working on them the more time you'll have to finish them.
>>
No. 1047908 ID: 7c0da2

Can you sense other tobaks with just one horn? Because then you could just cut one to protect you from head-splitting but keep the other?
Whatever you choose accept to have it glued back on. And remember to make sure they are facing the right side before gluing them. Unless you want to try reorienting them?
>>
No. 1047921 ID: 5d9787

Cut them diagonally so you have a larger area of contact to glue them later, similar to the way Telliot's broke.
90% or 95%. Bite wood or something like wood. We are doing this!

>Rilda nickname
The most obvious would be Rin-Rilda, but that sound like you are calling her her own specie.
>>
No. 1047929 ID: 9a2966

>Unicorn, new nickname
Hah, yeah. Maybe 'Greyhorn', to mark he's got a long past - and a bit of it stuck to him still!

Did the horn removal have to take place immediately, here and now? You'd still be spending some time here trying to find and extricate Ashley and Bry. Wouldn't the Saxum Dragons be suspicious of a Tobak that doesn't show up on their magnetic sense - and do the dragons even acknowledge hornless people?

Like, would Six-Spots still help you out if you cut your horns? She did offer to show you a way out of here, which you appreciate. There was also the 'get Six-Spots to bet me in a gladitorial match for my friend' gambit. Those things require you to not present as, uh, a non-person to the dragons, right?

At any rate, if it's his recommendation and there's no such backsides, you'll do it. Clean cut and glue them back on.

But let's deal with the arms first - they seem the bigger and more complex operation, and you did have some concerns whether there was anything in them that could be remote-hijacked, what with LuneCorp not being entirely defunct to your knowledge...

And you probably should get some of that yummy expired food in the tum. Test out how long you think you can stomach it if you end up staying here for a bit, at least!

Also, how did a random techie on a Belo-Docker lighthouse outpost become so skilled that they can maintain... well, lots of stuff, apparently! Did he get a comprehensive education, or something, or is he just good at picking up on stuff?
>>
No. 1047979 ID: 481e64
File 166720251186.png - (189.87KB , 800x600 , TQ123.png )
1047979

>Does the horn removal have to take place immediately, here and now?
I guess not. It might be best to leave that for the moment I've fully planned things out. There's only one thing I know for certain right now.

I'm going to do whatever it takes.
>>
No. 1047981 ID: 481e64
File 166720262986.png - (347.62KB , 800x600 , TQ124.png )
1047981

"This whole situation smells to high hell. It smells like... bunk." >"Yes mommy! I agree!" "I'm receiving orders from higher up, and they won't allow me to know what I'm going after here? I get that it's a suitcase, but what's inside it which is so important that we should be sending a whole army down here? And why are we bringing that heef detective with us? It's bunk all the way down... Whatever. All that matters is that we're after something important, and a couple other companies are gunning for it as well." >"One must've intercepted one of our patrols." "A clear declaration of war if ever I seen one. None of those drones are connected to the hivemind anymore, so they all must've been killed. The pheromone trail is still warm, so someone will have to investigate. As for the drones we lost... Paprika, Pepper, why don't you two make me some more lousy grandkids? >"Yes mommy! Right away!" >"Do I have to? Can't I do something useful? Like scouting?" "Don't give me that bunk. You'll do as you're told while I try to figure this whole thing out... wh-... Does anyone know where my ashtray went?" >"Hey mommy! what does bunk mean?" "It's not important. Regardless, we’re sending out everything to retrieve the case. I'm not taking chances with anything - Not while we're at the brink of conflict with two other major companies.
>>
No. 1047982 ID: 481e64
File 166720266681.png - (364.85KB , 800x600 , TQ125.png )
1047982

>"General Lix, the salvage team went through but didn't find anyone inside. The crash sites of our guys' planes didn't have any survivors. One died in an explosion, and the other..."
"The other what?
>"... Was dragged out and shot in the head."
"I see. So, there's something bigger at play here. I never approved of those fighter planes intercepting this Summit Superfortress. Not that I ever figured either had a chance in hell of being downed like they did, but because there wouldn't be a reason to do so. Or so I thought. Our Pilots were bribed to shoot down this plane so that someone could get something valuable out of the wreckage. Someone knew exactly which plane to pursue out of their whole fleet and fed that information to my pilots without me knowing about it."
>"Are you saying Summit has a traitor?"
"I'm saying that we both have traitors. Someone with a lot of connections orchestrated this, but things didn't go down as cleanly as they wanted it to. They went with plan B and cut the back of the plane off with stationary artillery to force it to come down. The place it came down isn't a coincidence either. This is the only place someone could move freely without being noticed by any of the companies."
>"So, there's a conspiracy going on?"
"I know there is. I've seen this type of thing before. Someone on the outside is covering their tracks."
>"What do we do now?"
"Now? We follow and watch closely.
>>
No. 1047983 ID: 481e64
File 166720271167.png - (313.06KB , 800x600 , TQ126.png )
1047983

"Again... About the guy who has the case-"
>"You thought he was reliable. And I'm sure he tried his best."
"Give him a chance! He's probably just caught up on something. We only need to wait a little bit longer-"
>"The time for waiting is over, Captain. I understand that you believe in your troops, but you don't see the bigger picture. Keeping what's in that case isn't as important to us as keeping it away from the hands of our enemies. We've had at least one spy infiltrate the ranks, who’s to say 'Coil' Isn't paid off as well?"
"I can vouch for him. If I thought he was untrustworthy, I wouldn’t have let him be co-pilot. Also, by your logic, what's to stop Bryto from being a spy as well?"
>"Don't you dare suggest such a thing. I wish Summit had a thousand Bryto's. He'd better be unharmed, otherwise we'd need to find a replacement for the Summit pinup calendar and Baseball team."
"Yes sir. Permission to gather a team to go recover the case, Bryto and maybe Coil?"
>"Denied. I'm taking full control of the operation."
"Shouldn't we wait for someone of a higher rank to come along first? If things are as urgent as you say."
>"Negatory. We've got our army right here."
>>
No. 1047984 ID: 481e64
File 166720274584.png - (445.17KB , 800x600 , TQ127.png )
1047984

"Isn't this... The Forlorn hope?"
>"That's right. Thousands of loyal Sect soldiers, ready to follow orders without question and at a moment's notice. Fully mindless, fully disposable. They fight not for money or country. Ready to die for whatever we say. The perfect soldiers."
"What kind of equipment are you giving them? It hardly looks advanced enough for a modern firefight."
>"Summit replicator produced weaponry. Tried and tested designs from the past. Lightweight, effective, cheap and quick to produce."
"Effective? Can bullets even penetrate force fields? Or advanced armor?"
>"The goal isn't to penetrate. It's to overwhelm and strain our enemy's resources. If we produce soldiers faster than our enemy and wear them to the point of resource exhaustion, we can make our hard push. It's called a war of attrition. You are welcome to question this method, but my track record speaks for itself."
"How many will die?"
>"As many as it takes."
"The queen doesn't have a problem with this?
>"Why would I? They're disposable. This is their purpose."
>>
No. 1047985 ID: 481e64
File 166720278419.png - (387.86KB , 800x600 , TQ128.png )
1047985

"Is this all of us?"
"For the moment. Mister Jade, Mister Crimson and Mister Amber. You three will have to do."
"Don't forget about yourself, Mister Tan. What happened to Mister Teal? Weren't you just speaking with him?"
"I was. I've sent him to go check on Mister Peach and Mister Olive."
"They're dead, aren't they?"
"Maybe. Maybe not."
>"It was that creepy-ass goat, wasn't it? The one that carries around the shotgun that shoots nails. Why didn't we try getting him on our side?"
"We thought of doing that at first, but I could tell he would try betraying us. I don't think he wants money, I think it's more likely he has a personal interest in the drives."
"What about Mister Snow, Silver and Gold?"
"Snow and Gold haven't replied to my inquiries. We'll assume them to be dead for the time being. I spoke With Mister Silver, he is driving the artillery truck elsewhere. I've asked him to get whatever reinforcements he can in the form of mercenaries that work locally."
"Where did this all go so wrong? This plan was supposed to go smoothly."
"We haven't failed yet. The drive is still close by. And why care if the others have failed? This only means we all get a bigger cut."
"Yeah? well now we have to deal with these companies moving in the area. They're probably trying to get to the drive as well."
"Follow my lead and toe the line, and we'll be just fine."
>"Why are we following your orders all of a sudden?
"You want to get paid, don't you? I had to pull a lot of strings with our contact to land this job you know. If you want to go back to being space pirates, you're all welcome. But I'm telling you, if we accomplish what we set out to do, we don't have to worry about cash again."
"And if someone gets in the way?"
"Is that even a question? We'll kill them."
>>
No. 1047986 ID: 481e64
File 166720282347.png - (305.45KB , 800x600 , TQ129.png )
1047986

>"You bastard... You have no idea who you're screwing with..."

...

>"Why are you quiet all of a sudden? C'mon, carve more off my ears! I'll show you what high pain tolerance looks like. Why don't you go back to the thing where you filed my teeth down? Not like they'll grow back or anything!"

...

>"When the others get to you, they'll do worse. They'll do a lot worse. I'm keeping note of everything you've done here, and we're doing it to you times ten. Remember when you put my head in a vice? I hope you have fun when it's your turn."

..

>"Do you tobaks have teeth? I wonder if you enjoy having holes drilled through them..."

...

>"Are those... footsteps? Who's there?"
>>
No. 1047987 ID: 481e64
File 166720285367.png - (356.64KB , 800x600 , TQ130.png )
1047987

"What did you think of my stories? Pretty creepy, right?"
>"Your ghost stories were very entertaining, even if I don't entertain the existence of the supernatural. What do you think this place is?"
"The sign looks like it says 'Eden Point.' I'm sorry but it doesn't really ring any bells. Watch out though! looks like someone drew headsplitter symbols all over it."
>"Headsplitters?"
"Yeah! Big hideous monsters which are super territorial! They can control you through magnetism! They'll tear your shiny metal arm off..."
>"I see. Perhaps I should sit this one out then."
>>
No. 1047988 ID: 481e64
File 166720288377.png - (249.20KB , 800x600 , TQ131.png )
1047988

>"Anyways, thanks again for reattaching my head."
"Don't mention it! I'm used to doing odd jobs. Not... that I do this kind of thing every day."
>"Right. I think you should head back. Things are probably going to get dangerous from here on out. And I'd hate for you to get hurt, Axyl."
"Fair enough. I should head back to my bike, I sort of left it out in the open, so I hope nobody took it by now."
>"I'll recommend you for future work if you'd like. You've done well."
"Thanks! Hey, just one more thing. Well... a few things actually."
>"Is the first thing about my arm?"
"...Maybe."
>"Nothing happened to it. I never had an arm there to begin with."
"You were born without it?"
>"I wouldn't say 'born.' I'm not exactly naturally made. I was ordered to be made by our senior programmer as his bodyguard."
"So the arm doesn't grow back or anything?"
>"No."
"And another thing, is the white fur normal? I've never seen a neumono with full white fur."
>"That would be an attribute of my albinism."
"Ah. Ok then. Also, what's your name supposed to mean?"
>"Mark Zero? It's the designation of the stage of prototype progression that our scientists typically use."
"So you're like... the patient zero?"
>"Sure. I'm certain they could've done better if they ever decided to make more beyond me."
"How can you see in the dark? Are you going by vibrations or sound?"
>"Bionic implants."
"Ah. Is your gun also named Mark?"
>"This is a Mark Three Anti-Material rifle. I'm also wearing Mark Two Bio Armor. No relation to actual Bio Armor, which is functionally different."
"Fancy! I should buy myself a pair some day! anyways, I should head off for now."
>"Hold on. I had a question for you."
[color=78574A]"About ghosts?" [/color]
>"No. Did you happen to catch the name of a tobak that was carrying around a jammer? His fur was yellowish, and his horns were brown."
"Oh hey! I know who that is! Yep, that'd be Dowser. We took down a group of raiders together. He's a pretty crazy guy! Why?"
>"Did you catch his contact information?"
"Oh- sure! Why? Did you meet him?"
>"I saw him when I stepped off the elevator. He was carrying a neumono on his back."
"Really?"
>"Mhm. I picked up the empathy that neumono was giving off... I can't really describe it as anything other than... pure happiness. "
"Huh. they must've hit it off!"
>"Yeah. I suppose I'm just curious is all. Just one thing I should warn you about when you head back."
"Huh?"
>>
No. 1047989 ID: 481e64
File 166720292488.png - (341.23KB , 800x600 , TQ132.png )
1047989

>"Don't get in the way of the tourist."
"I've never heard of him. Or her. Why the name?"
>"He has been off world. I expect him to be around here, looking for the same thing we are."
"I guess he isn't on your side then."
>"That is uncertain, He works exclusively for money. He'll do just about anything for anyone if the price is right."
"What does he look like? So I can avoid him."
>"Hard to tell. He changes his name, personality, and appearance frequently. The only identifying features are that he is a male tobak with two tails."
"Does he have the same beeping tracking device that you do?"
>"I doubt it. He is very distrustful of technology. He is likely tracking with more traditional methods."
"Is he dangerous?"
>"Extremely."
>>
No. 1047990 ID: 481e64
File 166720295229.png - (151.39KB , 800x600 , TQ133.png )
1047990

Whatever it takes.

I don't care who or what gets in my way. I'm going to save Bry and Ashley, and I'm going to get that case back to Fletcher. I'm not Making excuses. I'm going to do right by everyone, even if it kills me. Even if I have to be the person I’ve always been afraid to be.

Whoops, looks like my fringe got blown aside... let me just... put that back.

Choose a protagonist to follow for thread 4
-Continue with Coil and finish intermission.
-Continue Dowser's story.
-Pick other (tobak) protagonist.
>>
No. 1047993 ID: fb2164

>Choose a protagonist
First vote's for Coil, though if i had to pick an Other...
Either following Bry or Fletcher i think.
>>
No. 1047994 ID: a2d88b

Let's go back to Dowser for now.
>>
No. 1047996 ID: e5709d

1) Ashley
2) Dowser
>>
No. 1047997 ID: 5d9787

I would like to see Bry point of view some time, but I wouldn't want to miss Coil perspective during his rescue.
This moment seem to be happening during Dowser's somnambulism. This hole situation will be resolved long before his spy mission one week from now, so if we finish things here any consequences would interact better with Dowser story.
I say we continue with Coil until we reach a conclusion.
>>
No. 1047998 ID: c4dfdc

I vote to continue the intermission and follow one of the tobaks who are there.
Either Fletcher or Coils, I can't decide. Coils is in the middle of his escape plan, but I'm really curious about what's happening with Fletcher...
>>
No. 1048000 ID: 15c72a

>>1047986
HEY, LISTEN

>>1047990
Lak
>>
No. 1048001 ID: 708905

>>1047990
I vote Bry
>>
No. 1048002 ID: e1a7df

Fletch for the tactical stuff.
Feels like buildup so far but with what is about to explode?
Very Korean War with Summit as the PLA forces. Still, without officers the sect will have serious initiative issues. She'll probably either lead a group or have a specialized force to get Summit's HVTs.
Other options look as though they'd avoid obstacles set up to impede. Would like to blow through 'em for once.
>>
No. 1048003 ID: 16a946

Clover quest.
>>
No. 1048007 ID: 30b9f6

>>1047990
Not only are they hearts, but they're pink and sparkle. No WONDER Coil never shows his face. Imagine if Fletcher knew? She'd take SUCH sweet revenge.

There are quite a few Tobak perspectives I'd love to follow here - any one of the female Tobaks ranks pretty high - but it might be best to return to a couple red threads and alternate between them. Dowser and Coil are pretty centrally positioned in this drama anyway.

So back to Dowser! Besides, I wanna know how excited our headbud is about the prospect of meeting a new species in the upcoming clandestine mission.
>>
No. 1048008 ID: d176bd

A vote for Bry!
>>
No. 1048009 ID: d12415

Voting for Coil or Bry
>>
No. 1048011 ID: 70f859

Holy shit Coil is hot as hell!

I pick Dowser. He is my main guy!
>>
No. 1048012 ID: c28082

>>1047990

Coil. Let's finish the intermission for now~ ❤
>>
No. 1048018 ID: 244451

I'm very curious about Fletcher, Coil and Bry, but was totally convinced that Dowser was the novice pilot that was killed so I want to see that.
I vote for Dowser
>>
No. 1048019 ID: a9af05

>>1047990
I want to pick Fletcher. Let's see if we can help her rescue Coil.

>>1048018
>Dowser is the novice pilot that was shot down
The novice pilot that got shot down was a miklik. Last time I checked, Dowser was a tobak. It's safe to assume that Dowser was not the novice pilot that got shot down in that plane.
>>
No. 1048034 ID: a7a180

Carry on, Coil. Things are about to get very interesting...
>>
No. 1048039 ID: 084179

>>1047990
Oh no....HE'S HOT!
>>
No. 1048040 ID: 084179

>>1047990
Picking Dowser. I wanna hang out with our green friend.
>>
No. 1048054 ID: 90c451

I mean, I know Ashley is a Sect but...
My vote's for Ashley.
>>
No. 1048079 ID: ba605b

>>1047990
Wait on a second
>OP picked the Leon S Kennedy jacket
LETS GOOOOO!
>>
No. 1048092 ID: b01382

>>1047990
Does Coil's intermission happen before, current, or after the events of what Dowser is currently doing?
>>
No. 1048095 ID: f89136

>>1047990
Heart eyes mothafucka
>>
No. 1048115 ID: 180c83

There are a lot of interesting things to do or look into in the Dowser side of the story, but for the overall plot the big thing for Dowser does seem to be his upcoming mission. So finishing this action intermezzo with Coil instead of leaving it on a cliffhanger feels like the best focus for next thread.
>>
No. 1048116 ID: b01382

>>1047990
Voting Coil because i want to see Bry in that maid outfit, and i at least want to see them kiss a little. You know on accident.
>>
No. 1048120 ID: 180c83

>>1048040
Low-key I'm expecting Clay to pick up (or to have already picked up) green boy, the sneaky fuck.
>>
No. 1048123 ID: 244451

>>1047990
Even if I suspected a heartshaped pupil, I didn't imagine it to be soo cool.

I wanted to point that I love how he looks. It remember me of a cartoon or something with a character with a cute theme (pink hearts, sparckles, etc) that was a total badass. I suppose Jojo apply in that description too?
>>
No. 1048152 ID: ba605b

>>1048123
Clay dating the green boy we saved? I am 10p% backing this.
>>
No. 1048184 ID: 72f20b

I'd go with Dowser to give both stories more room to intertwine later on like it's infinity war.

That or Lk, because he is an intriguing lunatic.
>>
No. 1048288 ID: 00e87a

Thread 4: Bry
>>
No. 1048537 ID: 15a025

My vote's for moving forward with Coil.
>>
No. 1048720 ID: 48604e

Wana see some more Dowser
>>
No. 1048723 ID: ae4094

coil
>>
No. 1048901 ID: 481e64
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1048901

>"Hey Dowser. Kaddi here - Kind of. Not really. Let's just say I'm here on his behalf."

>"This is Kaddi's head friend speaking, manifesting just as yours did. Who I was supposed to be to him was some kind of physical manifestation of past trauma in the form of some crazed giant snow neumono he saw in a movie or video game or something. He freaked out at first, but I'm not as rough once you get to know me. That being said, he did get rid of me by downing all sorts of antipsychotics. He brought me back by handling the artifact again so we could work out a deal of sorts. I run the night shift in exchange for helping him with his mental issues. I tell ya, it’s a miracle he hasn't gone rogue yet."

>"I've been taking sleeping meds and smoking to keep myself awake so the other guy stays asleep, I imagine I'll be up for a while longer."

>"...Anyways, seems you're not around to pick up so I'll just have to leave a message instead. It's about the ore."
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No. 1048902 ID: 481e64
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1048902

>"First off, it isn't an ore. Or a mineral. It isn't even an alloy either. It's something far, far more different. What that is, I can only speculate. What's important is one major takaway - This isn't natural. As a matter a fact, I'm convinced it's not even from this world. Or any world."

>"I've run a lot of tests on this thing, as many as our available equipment and resources allow. I've scanned, drilled holes, dissolved samples - most have been pretty useless, but some have turned up areas of interest. Namely, the presence of synthetic elements. Know what those are? Those are teeny tiny unstable atoms made in big expensive labs that decay in microseconds - But I'm looking at bits of the stuff right now, and it's not decaying. It's all on the inside and there isn't much of it, but it's definitely there. Oh, also some of this stuff is highly radioactive. Your fingers grow back too, right? Not to worry. All the radioactive elements are on the inside of protective layers."

>"I tried to do a scan of the inside, but I can't see much without a bunch of noise. I made printouts of what I could observe, and there's something inside. I can’t tell you much, but I'm observing what looks to be a long... metal... thingy. Could be nothing and I'd need to crack this thing open to know more."

>"After scrubbing off a bit of the surface, I've been able to make out some strange markings. I've circled them in marker because they are so easy to lose. I'm not sure what they are, but they were likely drawn in deliberately. Tribal tobak symbols maybe? I tried searching through a database but didn't find a convincing match."

>"I did find material which causes the intense magnetic signature. A presence of Neodymium, Iron and Boron with traces of Dysprosium and Praseodymium. I do not like sharing a vocabulary with a rock nerd. I didn't find out for certain what produces the psychotic inducing effects. Scans didn't show any presence of biological life. Obviously, carbon dating is out of the question."

>"Want my theory on what this is? It isn't natural, and it doesn't look like it was made with any purpose in mind. Judging by all the impurities, this must be waste of some kind. Very valuable waste. Whatever process or machine produced this waste is not known to the greater universe."

>"After hearing all that, you're probably wondering what it's worth, right? Because I can tell you that from a scientific point of view, Raw minerals aside, this is priceless for the value of study alone. Any scientist looking for universal recognition and fame would kill to make a discovery from something like this."
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No. 1048903 ID: 481e64
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1048903

>"I'd put money on just about any egghead asking the same big question. 'Where did it come from?' I'm fairly curious myself."

>"I thought about the story you told me, about the dead guy you found it on. Gyro Clay of the Talion corporation. I did a bit of snooping in their mineral database, and I'm convinced that this artifact was a personal trinket rather than something which was supposed to be a part of some botched exchange. So where did Gyro get it from? Well, I dug deeper, and it appears he didn't have any family who could have gifted him the artifact. What he did have was hundreds of Rin-Reida who he would help feed and build orphanages for with all the funds his high position granted him. Seems like our friend Gyro was a bit of a saint."

>"Want to know my theory? I think it was a Rin-Reida who gave this to him. It might be a long shot, but I have a gut feeling. The Rin-Reida have lots of secrets, don't they? Some of the stories are pretty wild."

>"I'll go pay the Rin-Reida reservations in the glade a visit. They don't take kindly to aliens and won't come willingly, so I might have to get a little rough. I broke out my trusty old bio-armor and rifle from the war just in case. Once I get my hands on one who can provide the answers I want, I'll bring em' back here for a talk - as discrete as I can. You did a good job keeping this artifact a secret, so I'll do the same. Wish me happy hunting."
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No. 1048909 ID: fec07f

>>1048903
I have a bad feeling about this
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No. 1048913 ID: 90c451

Was hoping for science jargon but got lorem ipsum...
So uh... I guess we figured out what gave the Rin-Reida psychic powers...
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No. 1048940 ID: 5d9787

So she (he?) will just kidnap a random rin-reida? What kind of plan is that?

It's strange that Dowser property rights are being respected with this report but someone else can be interrogated against their will. Maybe the rin-reidas have less rights than tobaks but we met one working as a carpet cleaner in the same city.
If they are around she (he?) could pick someone who live here alone, or at least in smaller numbers. If morality and rules aren't a concern Dowser could be misinformed in preparation to pay less for the thing or disappearing with it. Maybe the difference is if it's done in the city or outside, but the victim will still be brought back to the city.
There is a weird leap of logic here.
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No. 1048946 ID: a2d88b

>>1048940
>It's strange that Dowser property rights are being respected with this report but someone else can be interrogated against their will
Corpo logic perhaps. Always respect a contract (even an oral one) to keep getting more contracts, but anyone who's not a customer/partner/etc. is fair game.
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No. 1048951 ID: 30b9f6

That's all pretty interesting.

>>1048940
Well, getting answers as to why you suddenly exist in somebody else's head might warrant a teeny bit of kidnapping, pending on your perspective.

And Kaddi did sound a little messed-up from past war-related traumas, so this headbud probably has their entire perspective painted by that. Violence to get their way might just be more acceptable overall! Dowser is way more chill and could probably just go ask in their place (and wouldn't have to deal with the hostility against aliens), but seeing as he's not responding, Kaddi-bud is taking their own initiative. Maybe Dowser can try to deal with this mess when he gets back from his mission.

To be fair, the Rin-Reida might be interested in whatever this thing is as well - recovering it and dealing with the fallout of losing their ally Clay - so if Kaddi-bud manages to shack up with someone who gets what's going on, this might become a net positive for them in some way.
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No. 1048953 ID: a2d88b

>To be fair, the Rin-Reida might be interested in whatever this thing is as well - recovering it and dealing with the fallout of losing their ally Clay - so if Kaddi-bud manages to shack up with someone who gets what's going on, this might become a net positive for them in some way.
I think this might result in the Rin-Reida ransoming Kaddi for the stone.
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No. 1048963 ID: 01446d

I think a diplomatic aproach would be more reasonable. The Rin-Reida have been very approachable so far.
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