...Uh, let's check if your adjustable wrench's what you think it is. And while we're at it, and even though you're pretty sure that the plasma arc welder is indeed a plasma arc welder, you might want to make super duper sure that it's what you're pretty sure it is. So that you can be absolutely sure instead of just pretty sure. An accident at the wrong time could be.. bad.

(Rho Quest now has a discussion thread! Check it out at >>/questdis/57053 )

Next tool, I guess.

Shame it isn't a sonic screwdriver. I hear those are can do a lot more than just turn screws. Though, this one can be used as a ranged weapon, if need be.

>>431241
Yes, definitely check your plasma arc welder next. Aim it at the big 'bot wreck's leg and test cutting, welding, and soldering. After that, how many other tools do you have to check?

Lord of Flame!6V6vMIakOE 2012/07/19(Thu)21:15 No. 434805 ID: eea689
File 134275771961.png - (13.43KB , 640x480 , 36.png )

>>431306
You take a look at the plasma welder before you use it, to avoid any more unfortunate laser incidents.

That's a plasma arc welder, all right! Looks like a nice high-end model, too.

>>434805
Let's hold off on experimenting further until we find some energy. Locate the broken robot's power source to see if it's got a charge left at all.

Lord of Flame!6V6vMIakOE 2012/07/19(Thu)21:32 No. 434809 ID: eea689
File 134275875707.png - (56.03KB , 640x480 , 37.png )

Looks like it can weld, all right! Those wires never stood a chance.

Not accomplishing much but it sure looks pretty, and they were too degraded to be much worth salvaging anyhow.

okay, now that we know all we got, start shredding that robot.

Good; No surprises from the plasma arc welder. Next up is the adjustable wrench. Try it against any bolt on the ruined 'bot, even if the bolt is rusted. You just need something to grab to test it.

Now, based on your knowledge of general robot construction, what salvage would likely be in the depths of this ruined robot's torso that would also have survived this long out in the elements? Nuclear power core? AI hardware? Memory stores?

For that matter, how well do robot AIs handle being powered down for a long time? Is it a case of if they do a proper shutdown, they could be stored intact for an indefinite period, or do they require a trickle charge to be kept alive? I ask only because I'd like to know if it would be worth the trouble to extract the AI module from this wreck and restore power to it so it could be questioned.

Lord of Flame!6V6vMIakOE 2012/07/23(Mon)20:33 No. 435586 ID: eea689
File 134310079977.png - (23.44KB , 640x480 , 38.png )

You test out the...adjustable wrench?
Something's definitely strange about it, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything particularly laser-y. It just sparks a pretty blue color makes you feel lighter when you turn it on, in some oddly undefinable way.

On the plus side, it doesn't seem to eat up any power, so you get a nice free light show every time you trigger! Which is good, because it seems to be getting dark a little early, for some reason.

Not that you can really tell what time of day it is, for that matter.

>>434815
If this big fella had a nuclear battery, odds are it would have gone critical when it was knocked offline - anything powerful enough to make a sizeable hole in combat-grade armor would almost certainly have cracked the containment on a low-grade fusion core.

...You're not sure entirely how you know that.

For something as obviously aged as this frame, odds are that not much would have survived the inevitable rust and corrosion; most likely, you might be able to salvage some raw materials (especially the more corrosion-resistant metals), as well as just possibly the most heavily-shielded components, like the black-box memory chip and the personality core. Both of those are capable of surviving for extremely long periods while unpowered, though there's a certain amount of data corruption to be expected. A unit's OS might be anywhere from mildly confused to completely deranged - though OS reconstruction does fit within your skill set, to a point.

That is, of course, if they weren't destroyed by whatever blew a hole in this warmech...or cut in half by your saw a few moments ago. Um. There's a reasonably good chance that you didn't destroy them, at least.

Oh dear. You might want to move out of the way of the falling thing.

>>435586
Big shadow! Move it move it!

>>435586
Go to your right, staying close to the mech, in order to move out of the sudden shadow while not being entirely out in the open.

...Rho, eclipses of the sun are not this localized, and do not get bigger. Ergo, something is falling towards you, fast!

Engage rapid emergency escape protocols! Plot a course over the flattest ground available, and move out! Wheelie-balls, maximum speed, go, go, go!

Lord of Flame!6V6vMIakOE 2012/07/26(Thu)21:42 No. 436767 ID: eea689
File 134336414092.gif - (12.95KB , 640x480 , 39.gif )

>>435591
>>435604
>>435590
F-falling thing?
>execute PANIC.exe

You're too young to be crushed! Run awaaaay!

(Animated.)

>>436767
Right, run! Why aren't you running?

>Queue commands
>End process PANIC.exe
>Engage wheelie_balls --speed max --heading forward
>Retract solar_panels
>Retract *wrench*
>Execute commands

(Apologies for half-assed update; should be a full, animated update tonight, if all goes to plan.)

Lord of Flame!6V6vMIakOE 2012/07/28(Sat)12:37 No. 437121 ID: eea689
File 134350422203.gif - (486.65KB , 640x480 , 40-1.gif )

>>436871
>>436857

Forward? But you can't forward! The warbot is blocking the way! Okay, stay calm, just
>PANIC
processing ideal escape
>PANIC
route, just have to stay calm and engage
>PANIC
>PANIC
>PANIC

(Animated.)

Lord of Flame!6V6vMIakOE 2012/07/28(Sat)12:37 No. 437122 ID: eea689
File 134350427433.gif - (63.75KB , 640x480 , 40-2.gif )

You might be less than a day old, but you're getting too old for this scrap.

(Animated.)

Well you're doomed. Whirr your wheels frutilessly until your power supply runs out.

Inspect the thing! Can it talk?

Use your tools to push on the ground to get on your side then use the tools the tools opposite to the wheels and are facing the ground to push against the ground so you fall on your wheels.

>>437122
Right yourself and move over to inspect the thing. Keep your laser screwdriver out just in case it tries anything funny. Then open it up carefully, without wasting power. It should be salvageable!

(it's just a weather balloon but better safe than sorry)

Lord of Flames!6V6vMIakOE 2012/08/19(Sun)19:55 No. 445456 ID: 52fab2
File 134543134368.png - (42.85KB , 640x480 , 41.png )

Well, that was embarrassing. The impact must have knocked you through time, careening into the future only to land in some bizarre future world where everything looks the same, but upside-down!

That, or the impact flipped you over.

...This body can re-flip itself, right?

It should be able to... hopefully

Open one side of your solar panels to tilt yourself before using your arms to continue the process.

Lord of Flames!6V6vMIakOE 2012/08/21(Tue)06:46 No. 445928 ID: 52fab2
File 134555679816.png - (52.32KB , 640x480 , 42.png )

>>445473
That sounds a little dangerous...your SOLAR PANEL is delicate! Putting your weight on it could crack or deform the panels, and that would severely hamper your ability to draw power from it. There's a reason it folds away when not in use!

Thankfully, you seem to have been able to get your MANIPULATOR firmly pressed into the dirt, just a bit more to lever yourself over...

Lord of Flames!6V6vMIakOE 2012/08/21(Tue)07:06 No. 445933 ID: 52fab2
File 134555797021.png - (47.44KB , 640x480 , 43.png )

...and back on the ground, safe and sound!
Your omnidirectional wheeliballs absorb the impact nicely, not even a jostle to your internal components. It's nice having an integrated suspension system!

Now, what to do now that you're upright again?

Inspect both robots... the ball thing that felll from the sky has priority though.

open it up.

Lord of Flames!6V6vMIakOE 2012/08/23(Thu)21:45 No. 446811 ID: 52fab2
File 134578355532.png - (16.28KB , 640x480 , 44.png )

It's a...it's a...you have no idea what this is!
It's obviously something mechanical...probably...since the shell appears to be some kind of composite, not far dissimilar from your own outer casing. It's definitely quite a bit thicker, though, since the impact from however high up it was doesn't seem to have put any serious cracks in it.

Whatever's inside might be intact or complete paste, depending on how well-padded it was. At least it doesn't match any of the schematics for war-bots that you have in your memory - though those are probably at least a hundred years out of date, possibly more.

What to do next? The LASER SAW's drivers aren't yet fully written, so using it may have unpredictable results. There aren't any obvious access ports for your INTERFACE PRONG, though there might be some kind of data port hidden behind the outer paneling. Your PLASMA ARC WELDER doesn't seem to have any applicable settings for cutting. Maybe that LASER SCREWDRIVER could open an access panel? Or that not-a-WRENCH you tried out before?

what are the black dots?

Let's use the screwdriver on it.

Lord of Flame!6V6vMIakOE 2012/09/06(Thu)17:50 No. 452268 ID: eea689
File 134697905681.png - (16.92KB , 640x480 , 45.png )

Go go gadget LASER SCREWDRIVER! Much less blasting this time, much more precision lasering. It looks like the changes to the driver config settings worked fine!

Now that your solar panels are safely stowed away, using the LASER SCREWDRIVER has decreased your POWER LEVEL to 97%.

Lord of Flame!6V6vMIakOE 2012/09/06(Thu)18:08 No. 452272 ID: eea689
File 134698013295.png - (18.29KB , 640x480 , 46.png )

Success! Some sort of access hatch pops open. It looks pretty beat-up in there, but some of this might be salvageable.

>>452272
Get a closer look so we can identify what the stuff in there is.

What does the writing on the hatch say?

read things look for good bits.

There's some writing on the inside of the hatch. Zoom in on it and look for any identifying manufacturer and model codes. Oh, you do have basic telescopic optics, don't you?

Once that's done, check out what's inside the sphere. Considering that there's what looks like a big tinted one-way glass window on the front, it's likely some kind of floating sensor platform. Confirm that by looking for what kind of sensors are installed. Also pull out any power cells that are intact and check their levels, to see if this thing was operational before it crashed.

Oh! Maybe it has intact sensor stores of the area. That'll be helpful in figuring out where to go from here. Try digging those out as well.

Lord of Flames!6V6vMIakOE 2012/09/10(Mon)16:31 No. 453393 ID: a2ce18
File 134731989763.png - (13.44KB , 640x480 , 47.png )

Pt. Plt.? That term doesn't trigger any recognition in any of your databanks at all.

Lord of Flames!6V6vMIakOE 2012/09/10(Mon)16:42 No. 453400 ID: a2ce18
File 134732055640.png - (13.67KB , 640x480 , 48.png )

Analysis shows four possible items of interest visible inside this access panel.

A: This appears to be some form of solid-state storage and processing unit! Probably the brain of whatever-this-is, if it has one. Looks a bit jostled by the crash but mostly intact.

B: Definitely a long-distance communication system. You can't tell the make or model, but the basic principles of an ansible are unmistakeable, at least according to your somewhat unreliable data banks. Unfortunately, they are fairly fragile and this appears to have been knocked well and truly out of alignment.

C: You're not entirely sure what it is, but it sure looks interesting.

D: This one might be the jackpot - it's a data input/output interface port! If none of the pins are too badly bent, you might be able to access this sphere's memory and systems directly. Risky, though.

Directly linking to another unit can give direct access to internal data and diagnostics, or even grant control over vital systems, but it is a two-way street. Viruses and other programming attacks can be transmitted over a data link, or a desperate machine might try sending rewrite commands to the very OS of an interfacing unit.

(Don't know how that "S" snuck into my username. Whoops.)

your digital strength is fairly high. unless this machine was a super genius you will win in a battle of wills. f it comes down to it.

>>453406
But... What caused it to crash in the first place?

Anyway, sure, interface.

>>453400
Do we have an alternative to accessing its data?

Could you remove the storage and processing unit, then interface to discover what devices are attached? Then disconnect yourself, reconnect the storage and processing unit, and then interface to try and gain access to the data stores or communicate with the integrated AI.

>>453479
>cut off from power supply entirely
>AI stays 'alive'
yeah no that isn't happening. if we want to talk to it, we need to do it now. there are no takebacks.

>>453409 - "But... What caused it to crash in the first place?"

We did, when we were messing around with the laser screwdriver.

>>453400 - Rho Quest - Lord of Flame!

Metaphorically bite the bullet and begin interfacing. Be prepared to stop and pull out the moment anything even remotely similar to a hack attack begins to happen.