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File 136480667429.png - (102.08KB , 600x500 , intro1.png )
503053 No. 503053 ID: d3bdc2

>So it was a pretty normal day/night/sleep cycle on the Asteroid
Expand all images
>>
No. 503054 ID: d3bdc2
File 136480669520.png - (148.48KB , 600x500 , intro2.png )
503054

>Then a ship crashes!

>HUNDREDS ARE DEAD but they were all evil robot criminals.
>>
No. 503055 ID: d3bdc2
File 136480671638.png - (136.48KB , 600x500 , intro3.png )
503055

>A lone figure emerges from the wreckage.
>>
No. 503056 ID: d3bdc2
File 136480673907.png - (152.33KB , 600x500 , intro4.png )
503056

"I made it onto the surface."

"It's all gone according to plan."
>>
No. 503057 ID: d3bdc2
File 136480676748.png - (365.91KB , 600x550 , title.png )
503057

>>
No. 503058 ID: d3bdc2
File 136480681047.png - (130.44KB , 600x500 , intro5.png )
503058

Alright, guys. We're here. Time for an exposition monologue.

You and I both know you have work enough shepherding nanites and keeping tabs on my freak biology, but I also know you can give pretty good advice sometimes, for a spliced-in cutting of a CAI that was messed up to begin with. This place might be the last fun we have in a while, so let's enjoy ourselves.
>>
No. 503059 ID: d3bdc2
File 136480685022.png - (240.03KB , 800x711 , map.png )
503059

This asteroid is the last place to find major amounts of neumono that aren't part of the hyperhive yet. That'd be reason enough, but there's salikai, too. Some major players leading a mob called the Zozu family. I'm here to deal with them.

After the trouble with that mecha-space-bandito cult that we went through to get here, though, I'm a bit underequipped. I need food, good transport and better weapons. I wish I still had my sniper shotgun, but some regular rifles would do. The only places nearby that I can find that sort of thing are a SPACE PIRATE BASE, a SPACE BIKER DEN and a SPACE VILLAGER VILLAGE that might have a gun shop.

Time is limited, though - once I go anywhere with neumono, the alert will go up that I'm in the area. I'd like to go silent, but the last interstellar treaty says I have to give civilians a chance to run away. Maybe it would be a better idea to advance on Zozu territory as quickly as possible.

Talk to me.
>>
No. 503060 ID: 67e8b2

Add "Shit just got real" and then hang up dramatically.
>>
No. 503061 ID: 76b151

i... love you.
>>
No. 503062 ID: 67e8b2

>>503059
Your terminator glasses demand you start off by accosting bikers.
>>
No. 503064 ID: 76b151

Space Biker Den will have food, guns and transport .. the first two probably won't be the best. But you should find a mean barbeque and lots of jury-rigged specials. Maybe even a gem amongst the pigs. Better yet theres bound to be damsels \ waifs in distress.
>>
No. 503065 ID: f2c20c

>>503059
If we're going in fast, we should get to the bikers and get a bike. There will probably be someone there with some guns we can use, too.
>>
No. 503068 ID: 04b86a

Is "deal with" some sort of new euphemism for hug? Because if it is then I totally agree that the Zozu family needs dealt with.
>>
No. 503069 ID: 57d82a

go clockwise and visit everything, leaving a trail of fire and blood behind. interstellar treaty can go stick its dick into a neutron star. start from the village.
>>
No. 503084 ID: d3bdc2
File 136481403318.png - (105.08KB , 600x500 , spacebikers1.png )
503084

>bikers

>"So the whole thing is on fire, and turns out, he's wearing a suit made of asbestos! He's running around the arena, flames still stuck to him, and get this, he starts touching and kicking and even fucking tasting things! Everything he can reach! The guy-"
>>
No. 503086 ID: d3bdc2
File 136481412326.png - (105.35KB , 600x500 , spacebikers2.png )
503086

>"Wait. Wh- SHIT FUCKING QUASARS, IT'S HER!!!!!"
>>
No. 503087 ID: d3bdc2
File 136481414912.png - (111.70KB , 600x500 , spacebikers3.png )
503087

>"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
>>
No. 503088 ID: d3bdc2
File 136481422143.png - (70.25KB , 600x500 , spacebikers4.png )
503088

>>
No. 503089 ID: d3bdc2
File 136481425168.png - (83.62KB , 600x500 , spacebikers5.png )
503089

Right. How am I going to go about doing this?
>>
No. 503090 ID: f2c20c

>>503089
Ask that tough guy in the foreground where you can find some guns. Then punch him out and steal his keys and bike. Drive to gun place, acquire guns. Jump the gun-laden motorcycle off a ramp to exit the city as several cars explode behind you.
>>
No. 503091 ID: cb6884

I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle.
>>
No. 503093 ID: 57d82a

agreed, faces need to be punched and dominance needs to be established.
>>
No. 503094 ID: eaa6fc

secure bike, those unarmed, kick in the face so we can tie them up & let the law handle them, gather weapons.
>>
No. 503095 ID: d6ef5d

I like it that none of the non-neumono were smart enough to follow their fuzzball compatriots when they all started screaming and running for their lives. Obviously these guys have trust issues. Or they're just stupid.

Calmly demand they surrender everything they want to you. If the sheep gives you any shit, straiten his horns out. Or just tie them in knots.
>>
No. 503178 ID: d3bdc2
File 136484112867.png - (78.71KB , 600x500 , bikerstofight.png )
503178

I punch the biker in the snout to establish superiority. As queen of all neumono, I have some extra superiority that needs spreading around, but I'm soon the owner of some shiny bike keys and directions to a gun shop.
>>
No. 503180 ID: d3bdc2
File 136484116013.png - (130.68KB , 600x500 , bikerstofight2.png )
503180

However, the common space biker (angelicus inferus sidereus) is a social creature, and it seems my informant's friends have some issues with my interrogation/shopping technique.
>>
No. 503181 ID: d3bdc2
File 136484119925.png - (87.37KB , 600x500 , bikerstofight3.png )
503181

We have a little discussion about how eminent domain works in the new neumono territories. This isn't normally part of our space, of course, but fortunately I persuaded the Soranius Convention to agree that our borders extend at least two miles from my fists.

Anything else before I go gun hunting on my new hog?
>>
No. 503183 ID: eaa6fc

well, with the directions, to the gun shop!
those guns need liberating, and you're the badass to do it
>>
No. 503187 ID: d6ef5d

Start driving around indoors on the best bike you can. Because that's how you roll. Literally.

If there's no bike suitable to carry your glory, disassemble the bikes available and reassemble them into one of your own creation.

If there are any neumono left cowering around, do your super Queen thing and have them start building up the newest branch of the hyperhive.
>>
No. 503210 ID: e37529

find a group of henchmen watching a sports on a small crappy TV in a small crappy room to fight you. notice how they only lunge at you one at a time. then notice how they're all male. after you're done somehow knocking them all out with only one punch to one of the concussion-resistant spots on their bodies each, escape from their huge reinforcements (who just arrive as you knock out the last guy) on your bike while said reinforcements announce their presence and chase you around for some time before they start to fire at you, giving you ample time to start the bike up (which conveniently had the keys already in it). as they hit everything around you but not you, drive by something really explosive. when it inevitably explodes, completely ignore the shockwave and don't even look back at it while the henchmen, who were actually a lot further away from the explosion than you, are all incinerated or flung into the air. throw your cigarette on the road because during all of this you lit it and finished smoking it somehow without dropping or breaking it.
>>
No. 503275 ID: d3bdc2
File 136485344549.png - (81.18KB , 600x500 , scootscoot.png )
503275

>drive around indoors
>beat up henchmen
>ride away from explosions

Why don't you tell me to breathe, while you're at it?

I just need you to point out things I miss and to think of things I wouldn't think of myself. give me perspective on what I might not notice. But if there's nothing like that here, it's time to move on.
>>
No. 503276 ID: d3bdc2
File 136485348446.png - (193.34KB , 600x500 , bikeaway.png )
503276

It doesn't look like space bikers favour guns that much - I had to go through five crowbar, tire iron, lead pipe and serrated knife outlets before I found the gun shop - but I managed to pick myself up a rifle, and maybe teach people a lesson about greasy rags and piles of incendiary ammunition.

Time to head for the Zozus.
>>
No. 503277 ID: d3bdc2
File 136485351137.png - (195.14KB , 600x500 , bikemeetcar.png )
503277

But it looks like they might be coming to me, or at least sending me a welcome party. Not long on the road before I see a hovercar with their symbol on it speeding towards me. And not slowing down.

There are neumono in the car, but they feel... strange. One of them especially feels like some kinda crazy asshole.
>>
No. 503278 ID: d3bdc2
File 136485352727.png - (68.23KB , 600x500 , chickeeeeen.png )
503278

They want to play a game.
>>
No. 503279 ID: 67e8b2

>>503278
Cheat by driving over their hood while doing a wheelie, breaking the windshield and then ramping away.

Then maybe they explode or something?
>>
No. 503280 ID: d6ef5d

Is that a space ghostbusters-mobile?

Nobody beats you at chicken. Hell, it's not like a collision would even be a problem- explosions are your natural element.

Floor it, and chuck a grenade right before impact. Blow yourself a hole to drive / fly right through the car and punch Red right in the face.
>>
No. 503281 ID: 4a20fa

>>503279
This.
>>
No. 503283 ID: f2c20c

>>503275
Dammit we missed something EXACTLY LIKE THAT. Some jerk was hiding in a barrel. I will keep a closer look on things now.

>>503278
Strange? I suspect mind-control. We're dealing with salikai, after all. I suggest you cheat. Start sniping them as you drive, then board their vehicle. I don't know if you prefer to incapacitate or not. Do whatever.
>>
No. 503303 ID: 8c5153

jump over/into car
>>
No. 503309 ID: 78c6ea

Hiding in a barrel? Polokoa missing something? Don't speak crazy talk!

You never cheat even though you always win. Stare them down so hard their chicken car explodes.
>>
No. 503359 ID: d3bdc2
File 136486625661.png - (86.28KB , 600x500 , grenaaade.png )
503359

>chuck a grenade

Let's add a little spice to this chicken.
>>
No. 503360 ID: d3bdc2
File 136486628354.png - (89.05KB , 600x500 , jetjump.png )
503360

As soon as I throw, a gout of fire blasts from under the hovercar as they active the rocket jump. They've got good reflexes, whoever they are.

Well, I did want fun.
>>
No. 503361 ID: d3bdc2
File 136486631103.png - (121.46KB , 600x500 , splosion.png )
503361

The action's heating up.
>>
No. 503362 ID: d3bdc2
File 136486640794.png - (170.91KB , 600x500 , landoffbike.png )
503362

>>
No. 503363 ID: d3bdc2
File 136486642534.png - (210.42KB , 600x500 , landoffcar.png )
503363

>>
No. 503364 ID: d3bdc2
File 136486645174.png - (52.10KB , 600x500 , dramatic1.png )
503364

Who are these chuckleheads?
>>
No. 503365 ID: d3bdc2
File 136486654890.png - (54.92KB , 600x500 , dramaticred.png )
503365

"Queen bitch, huh? We're gonna have some good times!"
>>
No. 503369 ID: d6ef5d

Oh look, cocky little red is back from the dead.

He barely kept Rokoa busy for a minute in that poor you-less alternate universe we were spying on for fun. So he's no match for you.

Still, he's got a numerical advantage and spunk, so this might be interesting for a little bit.

Stop their bullets with your firsts, and spit new ones back out at them.
>>
No. 503371 ID: f2c20c

I don't think he understands what he's dealing with. Still, I wouldn't underestimate him. Wait, is he even wearing bioarmor?

Show him your warface.
>>
No. 503391 ID: 70debc
File 136487476763.png - (80.05KB , 600x500 , poloconsideringred.png )
503391

>is he even wearing bioarmour?

He is.

Actually, they all are. More than that, though, they don't seem affected by my empathy.

"Ha ha, don't know waht to think, do you? You think you can just roll on in and we'll all bend over for your giant imperialist cock? You don't even know what you're dealin' with, here!"
>>
No. 503392 ID: 70debc
File 136487479234.png - (83.20KB , 600x500 , red.png )
503392

"I'm Red, bitch! I'm top dog, go-to guy, I get shit done! And when that shit's too close to the fan, I got even more! I've got a team of fuckers sometimes almost as awesome as me!!"
>>
No. 503393 ID: 70debc
File 136487481494.png - (64.79KB , 600x500 , black.png )
503393

"Black!!"

"Yo."
>>
No. 503394 ID: 70debc
File 136487483576.png - (81.72KB , 600x500 , blue.png )
503394

"Blue!!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'm coming."
>>
No. 503395 ID: 70debc
File 136487485926.png - (89.95KB , 600x500 , pink.png )
503395

"Pink!!"

"I'm going to cut you open and wear you like a suit."
>>
No. 503397 ID: 70debc
File 136487495201.png - (85.69KB , 600x500 , yellow.png )
503397

"Yellow!!"

"I was a guy in the original."
>>
No. 503398 ID: 70debc
File 136487499238.png - (354.30KB , 600x500 , doffclothes.png )
503398

"And when we're out together, you call us...!"
>>
No. 503399 ID: 70debc
File 136487503034.png - (403.97KB , 800x600 , zozurangers.png )
503399

"Zozu Family Forces, Excessive Response Unit! Zozu Zero Squad!"
>>
No. 503400 ID: 70debc
File 136487505259.png - (49.09KB , 600x500 , polokoareacts.png )
503400

>>
No. 503401 ID: 76b151

this is only going to be a fair fight if they have a mech to go with the power ranger motif... and even then you win by sheer awesome compared to those dweebs.
>>
No. 503402 ID: f2c20c

>>503400
I want you to shoot them all in the face then set fire to their unconscious bodies. In a pile.
>>
No. 503403 ID: d6ef5d

...so could we get to the part where you guys summon your giant robots and transform together already? I'd like to skip the boring part of the fight.
>>
No. 503406 ID: 78c6ea

Fuck this, you're out.
>>
No. 503416 ID: 57a559

>>503400
They're all in a tightknit group pose, I suggest application of grenade launcher
>>
No. 503417 ID: d6ef5d

Worth noting is that Polokoa retains Polo's "what the hell is this shit" face.
>>
No. 503420 ID: 26e4bb

wait.
White/green/golden/superdoublesecretplatinum is missing.
They are a distraction.
>>
No. 503422 ID: 77b987

There is literally nothing you can do to these losers that is worse than the shame of being them.

This leaves us with just one question, do you take the time to administer mercy killings or do you leave them to wallow in the pit of misery that is there lives, after all you do have important things to do.
>>
No. 503424 ID: 001ee9

Slowly come to the realization that your species managed to produce such losers for anything besides child entertainment.

Then rectify the problem.
>>
No. 503425 ID: 70debc
File 136488014434.png - (96.90KB , 600x500 , polokoacrackknuckles.png )
503425

>...so could we get to the part where you guys summon your giant robots and transform together already?

I don't have any giant robots small enough to use on the Asteroid.

As for transforming...

Well.

Why not.

>White/green/golden/superdoublesecretplatinum is missing.

I know where they are.
>>
No. 503426 ID: 70debc
File 136488016776.png - (2.38KB , 600x500 , dark.png )
503426

"Fuck, who turned out the lights!?"
>>
No. 503427 ID: 70debc
Audio slamaway.mp3 - (4.03MB )
503427

>>
No. 503428 ID: 70debc
File 136488029477.png - (313.84KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin1.png )
503428

Hear!

Riding the blade's edge on the curve of possibility -
One step from the void, where possible meets impossible!

>>
No. 503429 ID: 70debc
File 136488032120.png - (309.85KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin2.png )
503429

Two voices, risen from the chorus of anarchy, join into the same song!!
>>
No. 503430 ID: 70debc
File 136488035177.png - (476.63KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin3.png )
503430

From one edge to the other, two ends forced together compress the multitude into one!!!
>>
No. 503431 ID: 70debc
File 136488038472.png - (247.75KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin4.png )
503431

Quake, oh planets!
>>
No. 503432 ID: 70debc
File 136488041104.png - (360.06KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin5.png )
503432

Shake, you stars!
>>
No. 503433 ID: 70debc
File 136488044137.png - (425.27KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin6.png )
503433

The minds of the cosmos reel to behold what could be, should not, but is!!
>>
No. 503434 ID: 70debc
File 136488046775.png - (293.38KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin7.png )
503434

I am the illusion that is justice!

I am the delusion that is honor!

>>
No. 503435 ID: 70debc
File 136488049801.png - (214.25KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin8.png )
503435

Mercy! Freedom! Righteousness!! Compassion!!

I exist to turn fantasy into truth!!

>>
No. 503436 ID: 70debc
File 136488054643.png - (276.09KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin9.png )
503436

I am the paragon of law and chaos both!

I am Polokoa!!

>>
No. 503437 ID: 70debc
File 136488056827.png - (191.14KB , 600x600 , polokoahenshin10.png )
503437

>>
No. 503438 ID: 78c6ea

What... percentage is that bioarmor...
>>
No. 503439 ID: 207b58

im crying
this is beautiful
>>
No. 503440 ID: 001ee9

Yes.
>>
No. 503441 ID: d6ef5d

...actually, what I meant was for you to ask them to summon their giant robots so we'd have a semblance of a fair or interesting fight.

But what the fuck, I'll take an incredibly gorgeous transformation sequence too.
>>
No. 503442 ID: bf54a8

... woah.
>>
No. 503446 ID: f2c20c

>>503437
Fantastic. I sure hope those are laser blasters in your palms. You want some fun? Let's have some fun! Avoid using them for as long as possible.

...hey hang on, is that a Jetalium-reinforced biosuit?
>>
No. 503450 ID: 78c6ea

>>503446

What-ium? Not even the entertainment industry has heard of that stuff.
>>
No. 503458 ID: b7169d

T..tears being shed, that was so beautiful.
>>
No. 503467 ID: 76b151

i... love you. tears of joy here.
>>
No. 503470 ID: 76b151

>>503450
Jetalium is living metal from UnSe.
>>
No. 503473 ID: 70debc
File 136488662992.png - (146.10KB , 600x500 , faceoff1.png )
503473

>What... percentage is that bioarmor...
>is that a Jetalium-reinforced biosuit?

It's a protojetalium neurosuit. Experimental. The science hives like studying me. Came up with some... interesting things.

One feature is that it's supposed to let me amplify my empathy. Theoretically, no functioning neumono should be able to fight me in this, if I don't want them to. These guys, though... I think I understand these guys.
>>
No. 503474 ID: 70debc
File 136488666134.png - (80.34KB , 600x500 , faceoff2.png )
503474

They're all nuts.
>>
No. 503475 ID: 70debc
File 136488668179.png - (133.77KB , 700x500 , faceoff3.png )
503475

>>
No. 503476 ID: 70debc
File 136488679442.png - (448.37KB , 700x650 , tbc.png )
503476

"Wait... this is the original."

"Yellow, I'm trying to be fuckin' dramatic, here."
>>
No. 503485 ID: eaa6fc

oh god, I need to see more D:
>>
No. 503491 ID: e37529

this asteroid is fucked.
>>
No. 503494 ID: d6ef5d

Yellow seems to have memory or gender identity issues, there.

But yes, nuts seems the appropriate classification for these guys. Let's see if we can fix them with some fistoshock therapy (it works like electroshock. Except with punching).
>>
No. 504157 ID: ff13f6
File 136523883241.png - (189.37KB , 600x500 , redyakkin.png )
504157

"You think your pretty princess fashion show's gonna scare us? I'd tell you to give up and shove off, but we all know you ain't, so come on and let me hand you your own ass before I-"

"Seriously, Red, what am I???"
>>
No. 504158 ID: ff13f6
File 136523887403.png - (211.64KB , 600x500 , redyakkin2.png )
504158

"You're a messed-up freak, Yellow, now shut up with your quantum hermaphrodite bullshit and get ready to fuckin' fight."

"Uh, fighting wasn't what we were told, Red."

"Yeah, man! Remember, Pappa Z pulled us all in, and he said-"

"I know! I know, c'mon. But look at her! She's like, final boss, here! I'll get a fuckin' achievement for this bitch. I can-"
>>
No. 504159 ID: ff13f6
File 136523890184.png - (95.87KB , 600x500 , redandpink.png )
504159

"Red."

"Oh, Pink, hey..."

"Are you being insensitive to the fairer sex again, Red?"

"Ha haaaah you know I'd never do that in front of you, Pink!"

"That's good, Red. Do you know how hard it is to sew someone's head back on after you've used their neck as-"

"I remember, Pink."
>>
No. 504160 ID: ff13f6
File 136523893058.png - (64.68KB , 600x500 , ellipsesx2combo.png )
504160

"So long as you do remember."

"It's forgetting that's the hard part, you hasbro-ass psycho broad."

"Come on man, this'll be fun. Here. Let's get the party started."

"Yeah, sure. Better'n nothing."
>>
No. 504161 ID: ff13f6
File 136523896819.png - (116.25KB , 600x500 , thechallenge.png )
504161

"Alright, your royal chimera freak majesty! We aren't here to fight. We're here to offer you a little contest. You win you go on, you lose you fuck off!"
>>
No. 504162 ID: ff13f6
File 136523899068.png - (135.72KB , 600x500 , comeonandslamifyouwannajam.png )
504162

"Of course, you could always refuse, huh?"
>>
No. 504166 ID: f2c20c

>>504162
I expect the Polo side of you would like to shoot a blast straight through that ball and both of their heads, then drive away with a bunch of bleeding bodies behind you. Challenge be damned, this is a mission.

Wait. I guess you'd have to walk. Both vehicles done blowed up.

The Rokoa side of you would never back down from a challenge.

The AWESOME side of you would kill them all by doing a chaos dunk.
>>
No. 504169 ID: 001ee9

Chaos Dunk? Nah.

Go for a Mega Chaos Dunk.
>>
No. 504176 ID: 76b151

You got into your experimental armor for a basketball game?

Please tell me they are joking.
>>
No. 504178 ID: eaa6fc

red and pink seem like a match made in heaven...
and yesss, you can win this, maybe use some psychobabble to make yellow join sides, & convince black he's "too cool and this "game" is below him" leaving them with just 3
>>
No. 504182 ID: 78c6ea

CHAOS DUNK
>>
No. 504183 ID: 9e1727

...Oh, Zozu, you bastard... He knows you won't ever refuse a challenge. That's why he sent out the Technicolor Clown Squad to issue this ridiculous challenge; It's a delaying tactic. Right now he's enacting his escape plan, just like the salikai he is. And you know what the galling thing is? You're still going to accept the challenge.

Alright, lets get this farce over with quick.

>>504169
...Please, could we do this without blowing up the planetoid we're standing on? Again. It was fun the first time, but now it's just getting old.
>>
No. 504184 ID: 67e8b2

CHAOS DUNK
>>
No. 504189 ID: 2f4b71

Well, if you can get that basketball going at sufficient velocity...
http://what-if.xkcd.com/1/
>>
No. 504194 ID: ff9c52

KILL THESE CHUMPS ALREADY
>>
No. 504201 ID: 588b49

Red, Shut Up and Jam Gaiden
>>
No. 504205 ID: d6ef5d

Reform your jetalium armor into a basketball uniform- complete with outrageous fro.

Then take these guys in a 5 on 1 game without even trying. If you need teammate- rather, if teammates would make it more awesome, just use explosions in their stead. Don't ask me how an explosion is supposed to dribble, I'm sure you can shape a charge to do that on the fly.

>Chaos Dunk
Law and chaos dunk. You heard her transformation lyrics- she's both. Alignment: Lawful Chaotic.
>>
No. 504221 ID: ff13f6
File 136526469297.png - (73.17KB , 600x500 , statscreen.png )
504221

>challenge be damned, this is a mission
>tell me they are joking
>KILL THESE CHUMPS ALREADY

Unfortunately, I don't have enough POLO POINTS to activate my Level Four Polotech: Fuck This I'm Out. I can't use it until I shifts my CHIMERA METER Polowards. I'll have to accept the challenge.

>CHAOS DUNK

Are you crazy? I'd like to keep this asteroid intact, thanks. Rokoa should have never learned such a forbidden technique in the first place.

Besides, I can't use it unless I'm in MAXIMUM ROKOVERDRIVE.
>>
No. 504222 ID: ff13f6
File 136526471423.png - (204.25KB , 600x500 , callforcourt1.png )
504222

>yess, you can win this
>lets get this farce over with quick
>Shut Up and Jam

"Hey, ship. Protocol 4. Give me a drop."
>>
No. 504223 ID: ff13f6
File 136526473191.png - (202.65KB , 600x500 , callforcourt2.png )
504223

"Thanks."

"Convenient!"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go!"
>>
No. 504224 ID: ff13f6
File 136526475523.png - (352.99KB , 600x500 , letsgetstarted.png )
504224

>Red seizes the initiative!

>GAME START!!
>>
No. 504225 ID: ff13f6
File 136526477782.png - (174.44KB , 900x600 , spacejam1.png )
504225

>It's time for the Space Jam!!

>Polokoa's Stats:
>SHOOT - 7 +4
>DUNK - 8 +4
>JAM - 7 +4
>SPEED - 5 +4

>SHOOT measures ability to land shots and to make ranged attacks using the ball or smaller players. DUNK measures dunking, general jumping and melee attacks. JAM represents the ability to capture the ball or to avoid having the ball stolen. SPEED sets turn order and movement range - diagonal movement counts as 1.5 squares.

>All actions except movement speed have a random element! Roll 2d6 / 2 and add to stats! As a Heroic Protagonist, Polokoa rounds her fractions upwards.

>Use creative tactics to find hidden Bonuses!!
>>
No. 504227 ID: bdb3f8

rolled 6, 1 = 7

Jump on red's head to achieve greater height and reach the ball first.
>>
No. 504229 ID: d6ef5d

rolled 3, 4 = 7

>>504221
Oh gods this quest just gets more amazing every time I look at it.

>SPACE JAM
Move forward, grab red, dribble him and then pass him hard at the last minute towards pink and yellow with lose cannon as you catch the ball. Jam past the two remaining opposing players as they try to intercept, jump on top of the red/pink/yellow pile, and then make a sniper-shot dunk that ends with you perched on top of the backboard with an explosion in the background.
>>
No. 504232 ID: eaa6fc

jump & slam the ball downwards so it slams off one of their faces back to you, risky but it could give you an opening chance to immidiatly go left or right when you land & catch the ball as it returns
>>
No. 504237 ID: ff9c52

>>504225
basketball is boring. use RED as a baseball bat instead.
Jukashi i love you so much
>>
No. 504264 ID: b7169d

Red will likely be all up in our grill, so we gotta use tactics.

Confuse yellow even further about his Quantam sex shifting self. State that he's potentially been a robot companion instead of either sex.

Pink is Fury, unlike red she'll likely attempt to swipe, avoid her flank.

Blue's too lethargic to care, blacks to cool to care. So black will try something but his cool-meter will not succeed compared to yours.
>>
No. 504267 ID: d6ef5d

Also: there's 5 of them. We could play horse. Every time you score, pick up one of them and twist them into the shape of the appropriate letter.
>>
No. 504272 ID: 2df574

use determinatrix.
>>
No. 504288 ID: f2c20c

>>504221
What the hell does Friendship Beam even do?!
>>
No. 504320 ID: ff13f6
File 136530134298.png - (93.71KB , 600x500 , redtackles.png )
504320

>Jump on red's head
>grab red
>use RED as a baseball bat

>JAM roll: 4 + 7 + 4 = 15
>COUNTERJAM: 6 + 6 + 2 = 14
>Success! Polokoa grapples Red and-

>Interrupt! Red employs Level Two Redtech: Personal Space Invader!
>Red will remain all up in Polokoa's grill for the rest of the turn.
>>
No. 504321 ID: ff13f6
File 136530136420.png - (153.71KB , 600x500 , fastballspecial1.png )
504321

>Pink and Black activate Teamwork Power: Yellow Cannon!
>>
No. 504322 ID: ff13f6
File 136530139419.png - (79.40KB , 600x500 , fastballspecial2.png )
504322

I'd say this lot are more cunning than they look, but they'd have to be.
>>
No. 504323 ID: ff13f6
File 136530145731.png - (172.37KB , 900x600 , spacejam2.png )
504323

>Turn 2

>use determinatrix

I don't use Determinatrix, it activates automatically when I need it.

>What the hell does Friendship Beam even do?!

Friendship Beam? What Friendship Beam? You're seeing things. You must be crazy. Polo saw no mention of anything involving either of those words, you crazy person. Stop talking.

Rokoa is laughing.
>>
No. 504324 ID: 76b151

You know how Rokoa dealt with red last universe? She body slammed him. So do that. Then intercept and dunk yellow. Maybe dribble him\her while on the way to the basket.
>>
No. 504325 ID: d6ef5d

rolled 3, 6 = 9

>what do?
>>504324 This sounds good. Use loose cannon slam red towards the teamwork twins, then rush yellow, ball him/her up in a frightened ball around the ball, and use sniper shoot to make the 3 point shot.

>>504288
Obviously we'll need a POLOVERDRIVE to find out.

...although from the sounds of it, we shouldn't poke the gestalt too much unless we want it to break down.
>>
No. 504326 ID: f2c20c

rolled 4, 1 = 5

>>504323
Tell Yellow he plays like a girl.

Dash away from Red and do a sweep on Yellow to steal the ball as he's distracted.
>>
No. 504327 ID: f2c20c

>>504323
Oh, and could you inform us as to what Rip N Tear, Loose Cannon, and Huge Guts do? I expect Silent and Deadly is the ability to go silent and also use stealth, and Sniper Shot is obvious.

I suspect Rip N Tear is a melee combat bonus and Huge Guts is an endurance bonus.
>>
No. 504338 ID: 2df574

either Sniper Shot or Loose Cannon Red into Yellow.
>>
No. 504345 ID: bef086

>>504323
Realize there was neither a time nor score limit set. There are no winning conditions. They're stalling you.
>>
No. 504507 ID: d6ef5d

>>504345
>No rules / terms
Don't worry, referee Itcher (and cheerleader Jess!) will show up to clear up those issues when they arise.
>>
No. 504561 ID: 4617f4
File 136542505674.png - (85.54KB , 600x500 , shopkeepexplains.png )
504561

>>504345
>Realize there was neither a time nor score limit set. There are no winning conditions.

Sorry, this should have been covered already! The Space Jam, being a sacred method of resolving disputes across the stars, has a set of default rules that always apply unless specified otherwise. In a situation like this, a "who wins" and not a show match, the winner is decided simply by best out of three baskets - or first to render the opposing team incapable of playing. It's not exactly like human basketball; although players aren't allowed to try to kill or seriously damage their opponents, they are allowed to trip, pin, stun or otherwise disable them, and this becomes even more permissive with neumono players. There are other differences, as well, obviously.

Another minor point: the JAM stat is used for grappling, or anything that involves taking hold of something and controlling it. DUNK is used for strikes, like punching or kicking, and for things like leg sweeps. That was supposed to be clearer!

>could you inform us as to what Rip N Tear, Loose Cannon, and Huge Guts do?

As you guess, Huge Guts is a bonus to physical endurance and damage soaking, and Rip And Tear is a melee combat bonus. Loose Cannon is a balance to Sniper Shot, the former being a bonus to ramboesque carnage and overall damage, while the latter is for more precision and single-target damage.

However, these abilities cover a lot of ground! They're not just physical, but social and mental as well. Loose Cannon, for example, can also give a bonus to ignore authority or to brutalize criminals, or Huge Guts to overcoming fear. Of course, so does Determinatrix, Fuck That I'm In and P-p-p-poker Face, so...

... er, well, let's just say Polokoa doesn't really have any problems being afraid of anything.

Just so you're informed, Polokoa's CHIMERA METER shifts in either direction when you use enough of one side or the other's techniques. The more POLOTECHS you use, say, the more it moves polowards, giving you more from Polo and less from Rokoa. But when you're not balanced, the side not being used slowly builds up stress. Eventually, the pressure will reach critical and Polokoa will go into DOUBLE OVERDRIVE, allowing her to use all her techniques! It only lasts a short time, however, after which she'll become totally rebalanced and lose some of her ability to use higher techniques. She'll recover over time, though.

Hope that all helps!
>>
No. 504565 ID: 9747ef

... Is that Glitcher?

Anyway, use Silent and Deadly to slip away from red, then go to Yellow and steal the ball back.
>>
No. 504568 ID: b6178d

>>504320

Hahahaaa!

He's in your space and will be for the turn, but that won't help him.

It's TIME FOR TANGO. Dance Red down to Yellow, take aim and DUNK him with Red. DUNK HIM GOOD.
>>
No. 504569 ID: d6ef5d

Idea. If that neurosuit is jetalium based, doesn't that mean the shape and structure is mutable? If red tries to grapple us again we could just sprout a bunch of spikes or something.

>... Is that Glitcher?
>shopkeepexplains.png

:V
>>
No. 504578 ID: ff9c52

>>504561
define "seriously damage". breaking a limb or two is ok, right? he's touching you here, ew.
seriously though, trip yellow using red.
>>
No. 504604 ID: 077cef
File 136545253109.png - (270.44KB , 600x500 , toss1.png )
504604

Since we don't want Yellow scoring...

>Grapple maintenance
>JAM: 5 + 7 + 4 = 16
>COUNTERJAM: 2 + 6 + 2: 10
>>
No. 504605 ID: 077cef
File 136545259669.png - (94.51KB , 600x500 , collision.png )
504605

>SHOOT: 3 + 7 + 4 = 14
>Bonus! Level One Rokotech: Loose Cannon

>Polokoa's CHIMERA METER is shading toward Rokoa! She loses Poker Face and gains Fuck That I'm In. This ability enhances her capacity to do things that a sane person probably would not.
>>
No. 504606 ID: 077cef
File 136545270780.png - (174.70KB , 900x600 , spacejam3.png )
504606

>Turn 3

>Yellow is knocked prone.
>Yellow is stunned!
>Red is knocked prone.

That'll put Red out for a turn, and Yellow for one or two more.

>If that neurosuit is jetalium based, doesn't that mean the shape and structure is mutable?

It can, but the suit's linked to my vital functions, so its mutability depends on my physical and emotional state. That's why putting it on needs the music and the speech. To make weapons out of it, I need to be particularly stressed or angry, or similarly emotional. Although, shouting weird names for whatever it is I'm trying to make seems to help.

I think the rest of these goons are going to try something.

Victory by team wipe is starting to look very attractive.

>breaking a limb or two is ok, right?

So long as it doesn't look like I'm deliberately trying to.
>>
No. 504611 ID: d6ef5d

rolled 4, 4 = 8

I think our next move should be to take possession of the ball.

Bum rush right past/through blue to do that. (Not sure if Rip and Tear or Huge guts would help with that?). Then if we get the ball, you can take a sniper shot at the basket.

>enhances her capacity to do things that a sane person probably would not
Considering the number of suicide missions Polo has accepted, I'm not sure why that's a Rokoa exclusive ability. ...I guess the difference is Polo pretends she has good reason for doing crazy things, while Rokoa just does them?
>>
No. 504613 ID: ff9c52

>>504606
punch pink so hard only her head is left sticking out of the ground.

btw, what happens when someone is thrown steps out of the area?
>>
No. 504615 ID: b7169d

Rokoa fought fair in a battle that could have costed her, her life. She does things Polo would never do in such combat situations/
>>
No. 504618 ID: b6178d

Well, you're outnumbered here, so obviously you need to put the honky on the tonky.

Seriously. DUNK Black and force him into honking Pink's tonky. Or hoolah her woolah. Or smooch the pooch.

If you get my drift.
>>
No. 504637 ID: f2c20c

rolled 3, 3 = 6

Apply violence to Pink.
>>
No. 504809 ID: a2310a

that ball is too close to the wrong hoop. rush it. blue will probably do so too. feel free to trample his ass on your way if he gets in your way.
>>
No. 505546 ID: 847265
File 136588294040.png - (78.17KB , 600x500 , grabpink.png )
505546

>honking Pink's tonky
>hoolah her woolah
>smooch the pooch

I don't even have a skateboard with me today.

>Apply violence to Pink
>that ball is too close to the wrong hoop

I have an idea.

>JAM: 4 + 7 + 4: 15
>COUNTERJAM: 4 + 5 + 2: 11
>Bonus! Level Three Rokotech: Rip And Tear
>>
No. 505547 ID: 847265
File 136588298197.png - (140.66KB , 600x500 , squish.png )
505547

"HUAARGH!!"
"PwOOF!"
>>
No. 505548 ID: 847265
File 136588302633.png - (254.30KB , 600x500 , slamdunkan.png )
505548

>DUNK: 3 + 8 + 4: 15
>>
No. 505549 ID: 847265
File 136588311980.png - (262.95KB , 600x500 , slamdunkan2.png )
505549

Now they can't score.
>>
No. 505550 ID: 847265
File 136588314045.png - (151.88KB , 600x500 , blackandbluenotwantingtobebeatenblackandblue.png )
505550

>>
No. 505551 ID: 847265
File 136588316086.png - (159.31KB , 600x500 , blackandbluenotwantingtobebeatenblackandblue2.png )
505551

>>
No. 505552 ID: 847265
File 136588325371.png - (162.51KB , 900x600 , spacejam4.png )
505552

>Turn 4

>Red is stunned!
>Yellow is re-stunned!

>Polokoa's CHIMERA METER shades to maximum ROKOVERDRIVE! She loses Silent and Deadly and gains Chaos Dunk!!
>Polokoa is rapidly building POLO PRESSURE!

I'm beginning to enjoy this too much.

Or possibly not enough.
>>
No. 505555 ID: bbf245

rolled 3, 5 = 8

JAM: Ask Black to pass you the ball: "Yo, ball here."
DUNK: Failing that, ask Black's unconcious body to pass you the ball.
>>
No. 505557 ID: d6ef5d

rolled 3, 3 = 6

All right!

Now, we can't use chaos dunk, because that will destroy the asteroid. And while that might be awesome, we can't end the quest so soon. So instead, let's hold onto that ROKOVERDRIVE until it pisses Polo off enough to push us into DOUBLE OVERDRIVE. Then we can subdue / convert them all with friendship beam.

...more immediately, intimidate them into giving you possession of the ball (or just walk up an take it, just daring them to resist). Then shoot.
>>
No. 505559 ID: d6ef5d

>>505557
Said daring should be done while walking slowly towards him, with the maximum ROKOVERDRIVE slasher smile engaged.
>>
No. 505561 ID: cee89f

>>505559
And in as creepy/cheery a voice as possible. It'll help push the slasher angle.
>>
No. 505567 ID: 4c45e6

go after the ball while shouting HARGARBLGRGHH
>>
No. 505584 ID: f2c20c

rolled 3, 4 = 7

>>505557
But I don't wanna be friends with Red! Or Pink. Maybe just Black. Blue seems too much like a wet blanket, and Yellow is just weird. I bet Black is irritating in his own way we haven't seen, though.

I'd rather we just beat the crap out of the lot of them, or quickly do some super awesome dunks/trickshots to score 3 points, though the trickshots will have to wait until Double Overdrive activates and we get Sniper Shot available again.

>>505552
Rush towards black and steal the ball from him. Then do a sweet backwards dunk.
>>
No. 505590 ID: 9e1727

rolled 4, 2 = 6

I suspect Blue and Black are going to try and play keep away until their teammates recover. They'd probably fail, but keep them from even trying in the first place.

Scoop up Red (while stepping on Yellow again) and Sniper Shot him right into Blue. This'll either leave Black with nobody to pass the ball to, or him passing the ball to Blue who's in no state to catch it. Then charge Black if he still has the ball and gain possession, or run after the ball if it goes wild.

What do the Space Jam rules say about situations where the ball leaves the court under various circumstances?

Also, you didn't turn on your empathic block at the start of the game, did you? I assume not, since I figure that Space Jam rules on neumono empathic links have been amended by now to state that all neumono playing have to have full bi-directional links, unless otherwise agreed upon before the match. Otherwise the team with the upper hand automatically forfeits the match. So it'd be jammers all around, or nothing at all.
>>
No. 505591 ID: f2c20c

Oh. We still have Sniper Shot. I wanna snipe that hoop!
>>
No. 505657 ID: a56a0a

>>505591
well i want to chaos dunk that hoop.
>>
No. 505662 ID: 2025a1

>>505657

that would probably kill everything in a five-mile radius and cause basketball to be outlawed.
>>
No. 505666 ID: 4093ff

>>505662
i don't see the problem, basketball is boring anyhow
>>
No. 505670 ID: 997ce7

>>505657
Well I don't want to.

Snipe that hoop.
>>
No. 505674 ID: d6ef5d

The one reason I could think of not to snipe the hoop is if using a Polo power pushes us down from our ROKOVERDRIVE. Because I wanna see the double overdrive!

>>505584
>But I don't wanna be friends with...
We could always use them as cannon fodder. :V
>>
No. 505693 ID: cee89f

>>505666
It would also blow up the asteroid. See here:
>>504221
>>
No. 505696 ID: eaa6fc

look, we should save chaosdunk for the final boss, for now we should use wit, cunning, intelligence & balls to the wall style & mayhem.

also get that ball.
>>
No. 506950 ID: c44712
File 136650699832.png - (128.49KB , 600x500 , politerequest1.png )
506950

>Ask Black to pass you the ball

"Uh, well, I don't thi-"
>>
No. 506951 ID: c44712
File 136650702448.png - (116.78KB , 600x500 , politerequest2.png )
506951

>ask Black's unconscious body to pass you the ball

>DUNK: 4 + 8 + 4 = 16
>Bonus! Level Three Rokotech: Rip And Tear
>>
No. 506953 ID: c44712
File 136650706043.png - (92.92KB , 600x500 , consideroptions.png )
506953

>snipe that hoop!
>Snipe that hoop.

I could.

>dunk

Or...

>chaos dunk
>that would probably kill everything
>It would also blow up the asteroid

I probably shouldn't.

So...
>>
No. 506954 ID: c44712
File 136650710159.png - (333.46KB , 600x600 , doubleoverdrive1.png )
506954

>Level Four Rokotech: Fuck That I'm In
>POLO PRESSURE reaches maximum!!
>DOUBLE OVERDRIVE!!!

... I won't.

>Polokoa regains all of her Polotechs!

>Polokoa gains access to her Doubletechs!!
>>
No. 506955 ID: c44712
File 136650713810.png - (244.00KB , 600x600 , doubleoverdrive2.png )
506955

I'll do something better.

>HYPER COMBO DOUBLETECH:
>>
No. 506956 ID: c44712
File 136650717022.png - (340.05KB , 600x600 , doubleoverdrive3.png )
506956

ANARCHY
>>
No. 506960 ID: c44712
File 136650720533.png - (491.76KB , 700x700 , doubleoverdrive4.png )
506960

FRIENDSHIP
>>
No. 506961 ID: c44712
File 136650722684.png - (120.66KB , 700x600 , doubleoverdrive5.png )
506961

DUNK!!!!!!
>>
No. 506962 ID: c44712
File 136650728124.png - (271.00KB , 700x600 , doubleoverdrive6.png )
506962

>>
No. 506963 ID: c44712
File 136650730756.png - (92.08KB , 600x500 , doubleoverdrive7.png )
506963

>>
No. 506964 ID: c44712
File 136650733629.png - (42.47KB , 600x500 , doubleoverdrive8.png )
506964

"Father. The neumono-"

"Unconscious?"

"... All of them."

"So the jammers did nothing. I can smell the smoke from here. Get rid of them, then. Gently. It's no fault of theirs. Do you feel that? Like a warm tingle down your spine?"

"Just... barely, yes."

"This is the power that conquered our home world. I suppose we should be grateful that that's all we receive of it. At least, until she arrives herself. Are the preparations made?"

"... Yes. But we're not sure-"

"I will deal with her myself. None of you are to get any ideas."

"... I'll... pass it on."
>>
No. 506965 ID: c44712
File 136650736319.png - (4.03KB , 600x500 , doubleoverdrive9.png )
506965

>>
No. 506966 ID: c44712
File 136650738876.png - (75.50KB , 600x500 , doubleoverdrive10.png )
506966

BAM

"This the place?"

"Uhm... yes."

"Any surprises?"

"Not... that I know of."

"Fine. If you think of something helpful, tell me. Don't get in my way."

"Yeah... sure..."

This fruit salad gang's going to be a bit dopey for a while, but they might be useful, still. This, they tell me, is one of the entrances to the main seat for the Zozus, and from what they tell me, the delay they were sent to drop on me wasn't to let the head honchos escape, but to make preparations for my visit. Who knows if they were told the truth, though. The place looks pretty deserted. I find it hard to believe they'll try fight me; this suit practically needs a tank to get through it, and everyone knows it by now.

Any thoughts on how I should be going?
>>
No. 506969 ID: 3686b0

There are no words.

None, at all.
>>
No. 506971 ID: 57a559

>>506966
No!
Your awesome power output was too out of control!
It'll impregnate every female on this asteroid! And some of the men! Everyone at ground zero will probably have twins!

Just... I don't know. Man walk forward and stare down opposition, and when that doesn't work, punch 'em in the face, and when that doesn't work, maul them with an explosive round. Or two.
>>
No. 506972 ID: d6ef5d

>>506954
...you unlocked your ultimate double overdrive technique by using another technique to chose to do yet another technique you then didn't do. That is some masterful doublethink. (Although, it makes perfect sense for a double person).

>>506960
Double tech!

>>506964
...goodness, even the non-neumono can feel her.

>thoughts on how I should be going?
Well, they'll probably have some way to fight you. Maybe even neutralize the suit. That's the kind of bullshit that happens in a story, right? You get to the big bad boss and lose access to all the stuff that would make it easy.

But heck, it's not like we know anything about what they got waiting. Nowhere to go but forward.
>>
No. 506980 ID: f2c20c

>>506966
Hey, what are we going to do to the salikai once we find them? Is this an extermination mission?

I don't suppose we can just go through walls, can we? Foil whatever plans they have by taking an unexpected route.
>>
No. 506994 ID: 522afb

This thread is the best thing in my life right now.

We should go in quiet but deadly. No knowing what they've cooked up in case of you.
>>
No. 507009 ID: cee89f

You are the boss. So enter that building like a BAWS! Knock down everything in your way like a bowling ball attached to a steamroller shot out of a cannon being thrown long in a game of cannon tossing between mountain giants on a low-gravity world!!!

(On a less insane/jokey note, i love the artwork right at the dunk. I dunno if it was intentional, but to me Polokoa's snarl looks like a mix between Rokoa's toothy grin and Polo's roar.)

>>506971
NO YOU FOOL DON'T MENTION KIDS! O_O
>>
No. 507020 ID: bb8b13

obviously use the idiots to spring the traps the other idiots prepared

jukashi I'm going to get fired, i can't stop laughing! it's been hours what did you do??
>>
No. 507029 ID: caa5bf

enter it like a ninja.
>>
No. 507150 ID: 915d25

Demand everyone in the facility march themselves out to receive there asswooping in a timely manner.
If you have to come looking for them things will get... interesting.
>>
No. 507161 ID: eaa6fc

enter, calmly & straight forward.
but have the rainbow brigade equipped with instruments to play a loud marching anthem as you walk.
>>
No. 507170 ID: 256d52

They already know you're coming, so the last thing they'll suspect is a sneaking mission!
>>
No. 507973 ID: 8b318c
File 136712932640.png - (87.49KB , 600x500 , pkarequestsmap.png )
507973

>Hey, what are we going to do to the salikai once we find them? Is this an extermination mission?

Oh, no. Almost the opposite, actually.

When I... woke up... it was a hard time for me. For us. Me. Two very different people suddenly one, and while they'd been asleep, the larger portion of both their hives has been wiped out. It hurt, and I was horribly confused, and had to juggle the science hivers still trying to keep me alive and hidden until I was fixed up. I had to learn to sneak like Polo in a body the size of Rokoa's, with half of it still not working. But mostly, I was mad. So angry. Too much anger for the salikai. I had to spread it, back, to whoever had made those salikai the way they were to do such things. Back to whoever had made them do that. And back, and back, just so much sheer rage that only the entire history of our planet could hold it all. Polo and Rokoa's lives were both perfectly real to me, but I felt detached from them, as well. The whole thing - the relationships between all the different races of our world, all the grudges and revenge, carrying on conflicts that had started with some primitive rock-chewers squabbling over dirty water and hunks of meat.

It was so fucking stupid.

All those aliens, from entirely different worlds, able to get on with each other. And do you know how much advancement has come from the meeting of different cultures, different species, meeting minds and trading ideas? Try most of it. Some ancient guys invent a steam engine but it's no good for anything but party tricks. Centuries later another bunch learn how to make really good metal. Some dude takes a book from the first guys and lugs it across a continent to the second, and bam, industrial revolution. Some guys take a domesticated riding animal of theirs across an ocean, show them to the natives, not a decade later those natives are the best riders in the world and have conquered half their neighbors. But does that happen with us? No. Because we're a bunch of whiny idiots. And I've got the whole salikai operation there, riddled with incompetence, and still showing how much we could do if we could just restrain ourselves enough to team up for two fucking minutes. We're all living creatures, flesh and blood, we can grow, evolve, become different, better. We could be so strong. But we were pathetic. All of us. Born from the same ocean, the same codes written in our blood, and the most successful species on the whole planet can't even keep from murdering themselves.

So I decided I wasn't going to put up with this bullshit any more.

They said I'd gone crazy while I was asleep.

But if you'd said two neumono like Polo and Rokoa could be stitched together into a chimera like me, you'd have been called crazy then, too.

So I'm here to make an offer to these salikai, of a proper place in society. An offer they can't refuse.

>enter it like a ninja
>quiet but deadly
>the last thing they'll suspect is a sneaking mission

Yeah. But best if you know where you're going for that sort of thing. See if you can pick up any wireless signals, will you? And get me a map.

>"you got it, boss!"
>>
No. 507974 ID: 8b318c
File 136712940143.png - (8.13KB , 600x600 , hqmap.png )
507974

>"This whole place has gone quiet!"
>"it's kinda creepy"
>"Redirecting hug capacitors."
>"Most of the system here is locked down, but here's a rough structural outline of the different floors. This is as far as we can get, but there could be more further down. Looks like they want to keep people away from whatever's down there."
>"Not ominous at all!"

The rainbow crew feel surprised that the place has been so thoroughly abandoned. This isn't what they expected the place would be like.

>"There's two places with wireless traffic, one at a defensive location that's double encrypted and sporadic, on odd frequencies, like they're trying to keep it quiet that they're there. The other further down isn't doing any hiding, and the activity level seems a regular pace of communication, like it could be someone just going about their normal business."

That first spot looks like an ambush of some sort. If I'm in ninja mode, I guess I'd best go around.
>>
No. 507975 ID: 8b318c
File 136712948095.png - (84.70KB , 600x500 , takethatglassceiling.png )
507975

>I don't suppose we can just go through walls, can we?

Passé.

Floors are the new walls.

Straight down?
>>
No. 507976 ID: f2c20c

>>507975
Straight down sounds good. Stop at the floor right above the ambush to get a better idea of what we should expect.

Optimally we would drop down behind them and block the exit out of the room they're in, then continue on.
>>
No. 507980 ID: ff24ac

>>507974
if anything the second one sounds like the trap. actually, they could both be traps.
>>
No. 507986 ID: 7e1b7f

there are elevator shafts you can use to descend more quickly, in case you're opposed to bruised knuckles.
>>
No. 508007 ID: d6ef5d

Ah. I see. You were so mad at it all you declared war on war. And started forcing the rest of the world to realize just how good team ups could be.

>where go?
Honestly, there's no way to be sure that the open one isn't a trap, or that the hiding one isn't a trap trying to pretend to not be a trap.

Therefore, just head strait down. We'll hit everything in a row- one two three.
>>
No. 508062 ID: 9e1727

Hey, you haven't had a bite to eat since crashing on this rock, have you? Perhaps a detour to raid the nearest break room fridge for a quick snack is in order. After all, it's not like Father Zozu is going anywhere. There's no urgent need to get to him ASAP, right?

I have no idea if those signals are from ambushes, traps, or are misdirections meant to herd you away from them. So I say we just avoid them completely.

Head to the floor over the two right elevator shafts, start punching down, and don't stop 'till you hit whatever is hidden under this place.

The rest of the floors in this place look thicker than the one you just punched through. You might not be able to do the same to them. You got something that could get through them without causing massive collateral damage? Plasma blade? Plasma aura for your fists, maybe?

Lets work on cracking the encryption on both of those signals, starting with the overt one. I'd like to know what they're talking about, even if we aren't going near them. Perhaps even break into those systems, if we're really certain we can do it without being detected.
>>
No. 508078 ID: fe3247
File 136720685282.png - (140.06KB , 600x500 , vendingmachine.png )
508078

>Hey, you haven't had a bite to eat since crashing on this rock, have you?

You're right, good thinking. I burn through calories fast when I'm wearing this thing. I'll tell our new hivemates to fetch something, since they seem to know the upper levels, at least.

>The rest of the floors in this place look thicker than the one you just punched through.

Right again. No plasma blade, sorry; energy restrictions. This suit's basically powered off my body heat and the overcharge on my empathic field. But a nearly-molecular spike and blade should help me out. It takes me a bit of effort to make it form, but so long as I'm not in a fight, it's tolerable.
>>
No. 508083 ID: fe3247
File 136720714650.png - (7.24KB , 600x600 , hqmap2.png )
508083

>Straight down sounds good.

I only get three more floors of progress before something comes up, of course.

>"Yeah, I think they noticed your shortcuts."
>"Maybe the super sentai goon squad have trackers on them?"
>"Or there are hidden cameras."
>"Or you busted through a network line!"
>"So basically, there was bit of higher traffic on the lower level, and then the upper level went totally silent. The lower kept on high for a while and then it dropped back down."

So either they've got everything ready and are settled for the ambush, want to hide, or they've been called back or told to get out of there or something. They might be expecting me to come down through them, now, so either of the two sections closer to the elevator shaft might have them waiting for me. Of course, the 2d map is a little limited; if the levels I've gone through so far is an indication, there are lesser rooms subdividing the main structural chambers. Or, there might not. These lower floors might have different purposes, and if they're just using it for storage, they could just be big empty boxes.

I could probably still avoid the next floor entirely, if I drop down through the elevator shaft. But, maybe they want me to do that.

>"Been trying to get more info out of the system, found some old maintenance logs. After the next two floors, there's some sort of extra reinforcement, so it doesn't look like you'll be able to punch through the final floor. Someone was complaining about not being able to lay cables in the floor down there."

Strange.

Some of Red's crew feel like they're getting a bit more nervous, too.
>>
No. 508087 ID: d6ef5d

I don't suppose your shades come with spiffy x-ray vision or anything? We could see what's waiting a floor down before choosing to engage.

And did we exchange comm frequencies with the skittles squad? We could get on the phone and ask what's upsetting them if something happened up top.
>>
No. 508091 ID: fe3247
File 136720941584.png - (71.00KB , 600x500 , yellowsnervous.png )
508091

>I don't suppose your shades come with spiffy x-ray vision or anything?

No such luck, x-rays need too much power. I have thermal, but it can't pick up anything through the walls or floor here.

>And did we exchange comm frequencies with the skittles squad? We could get on the phone and ask what's upsetting them if something happened up top.

They're not up top, they're following along. It only took them a moment to catch back up after getting something to eat. I could tell them to climb back up if you think it's a good idea. While I have them, though...

"If you've got something to say, say it."

"Uh... n-no, it's silly."

"Ugh. Yellow, are you seriously freaking out about some fucking ghost stories?"

"I said it was silly. And it's not a ghost story! It's just... a lot of people have been stuck here for a long time, there's... stuff they say, about the asteroid. That there's, you know, some big mystery, something buried deep down in the core. And I just... didn't know this place went down so far, so... It's stupid. It's not like you aren't worried too, Red, we can all tell."

"I'm not fucking worried, I just feel like how I feel when I get called in to be shouted at, y'know? I'd leave if I didn't just get fucking mind raped, at least leave me enough brain cells that I can still want to, sheesh."
>>
No. 508139 ID: d6ef5d

>if I didn't just get fucking mind raped
Pff. You know you liked it.

>I could tell them to climb back up if you think it's a good idea.
Nah, nevermind. I just assumed from the previous wording you'd left them behind when you dropped like a bunker busting missile.

>what do?
Go for the exclamation mark. If it is a threat, I don't want it at our backs when we deal with whatever's at the bottom. Besides, if this is ultimately a conversion / conquest mission, we sort of have to deal with everything anyways.
>>
No. 508151 ID: f2c20c

>>508091
No. He's been a bad boy and he gets no such luxuries.

It almost feels like serious time, here. Hmm. Get into that elevator shaft next to you. Then see if you can peek through the elevator doors. Or maybe we should find the armory first. We have no guns! NO GUNS. Impenetrable supersuit or no, I don't like going in unarmed.
>>
No. 508152 ID: d6ef5d

>>508151
...we had guns, but they kind of disappeared into digital CAI jetalium hammerspace storage during the transformation sequence (...which means I'm guessing the clothes and gear got unceremoniously dumped on one of the UnSe crew inside in the computer-jem, there).
>>
No. 508209 ID: ac851f

who cares, eat and keep on punching.
>>
No. 508597 ID: 9e1727

Actually, send them back up, but not to leave. Send them to the armory to load up with everything they can put on and carry out, then come back. This is going to be a Poloka class fight, and they're going to need more armor than they have on to survive even being near that, and weapons better than their fists to even think about backing you up. And if the Zozu's cleaned out the armory, then I think the ship has a regular neumono armory pod it could drop for them.

You could also head back up with them to swipe some better scanning gear from the armory to check out the floor below, or at least a pair of x-ray goggles from the infirmary.

As for how to approach heading down: How about doing something more crazy awesome than punching through floors?

Go around busting all the water lines on this level and the levels above, and the drain lines from the sump pumps on the levels below. Then bust out the elevator doors on this level and all the ones above. Let the water flood the elevator shaft and this level. Then swim down and place a remote detonation charge on the elevator doors, come back up, and blow them. Then ride the wave out on a surf board. Oh, you're going to need to request a surf board drop from the ship.

Not only will this look cool, once the water floods the level it'll render all the enemy's guns inoperable or ineffective, and short out any electronics that aren't waterproofed. That leaves them with only being able to fight close quarters, which is pretty much suicide against you.
>>
No. 508894 ID: 8c9410
File 136780128688.png - (176.86KB , 600x500 , polokoateachingtime.png )
508894

>>508597
>flood the elevator shaft and this level

Normally, this would be a plan I could get behind.

However, the water systems here are sure to have been built with a lot of safeguards! Water is a precious resource in places that are not naturally habitable. Even when you have a bunch of icy asteroids and comets, it takes a lot of effort and expense to retrieve those; and in a place like this, where they have to depend on the whims of gravity to drop fresh supply for them, the recycling systems have to be first priority in efficiency and maintenance. There are always losses, even at the best of times, so every drop counts. Even space pirates and other criminals, if they can't actually steal the water they find in their normal business, usually leave it where it is in case they need to come back for it. A threat to the water supply is a threat to the life of everyone in any artificially supported settlement, so never do work on the water systems yourself! Always call a professional.

This is also why wet t-shirt competitions, water balloons, water pistols, and all manner of super soakers are banned in places like this.

Use water responsibly!
>>
No. 508895 ID: 8c9410
File 136780131697.png - (147.46KB , 900x600 , whatwevegot.png )
508895

>we have no guns!
>we had guns, but they kind of disappeared into digital CAI jetalium hammerspace

What? That's ridiculous. We don't have magic.

The guns are just invisible.

Our cloaking suit technology wasn't supposed to reach the public in the first place, and it wasn't supposed to get posted on the internet, and it definitely wasn't supposed to get into the hands of a belonosian gun nut who we couldn't find before he posted his how-to for sticking it onto a rifle. And then we get a bunch of criminals and terrorists running around with invisible guns, so we had to let the weapons manufacturers have the technology so they could make their own professionally-made invisible guns for the public. And then violent crime went down, as it would when anybody could be carrying invisible guns. Though, the rate of pretending-to-have-a-gun crimes did go up, as did the rate of invisible-gun-related accidents, since it turns out lots of people have terrible memories when it comes to where they left their invisible guns.

Obviously, guns that can turn invisible are more expensive, and they're not any good for intimidation, so they're not that common except for special forces and enthusiasts. But most shops will have one or two on the shelf. It's an accessory, like night vision scopes or silencers or magnetic holsters. The visible light gang here all have their own weapons.

I'm sure you can give yourselves a rundown of everything we have in resources at the minute.
>>
No. 508896 ID: 8c9410
File 136780137096.png - (100.28KB , 600x500 , elavator1.png )
508896

"Come on, hurry up! We're in trouble already."

"This isn't built to move quickly in the first place!"

"We're just following orders, it's not our fault."

"It's our fault if we listen to orders from the wrong person!! That isn't even what I'm talking about, what about these things?"
>>
No. 508897 ID: 8c9410
File 136780142014.png - (68.32KB , 600x500 , elavator2.png )
508897

"We weren't supposed to actually have to use these, they're just for scaring people!"

"Well, you're not going to have to use them, so shut up. And stop pointing it at me."
>>
No. 508898 ID: 8c9410
File 136780145474.png - (87.87KB , 600x500 , elavator3.png )
508898

>peek through the elevator doors
>>
No. 508899 ID: 8c9410
File 136780149544.png - (125.33KB , 600x500 , elavator4.png )
508899

"Um..."

Plasma spitters, huh? Takes a special kind of idiot to run around with a bottle of ionized nuclear gases on their back. The only dependable safety feature on these things is that people get more nervous about shooting at you.

I don't really want to kill any of these people. If everything goes well, after all, they'll end up working for me.

Suggestions?
>>
No. 508905 ID: 76b151

Well the guy just hit a button, by the noise its the Close Door button, so you might want to jam that open.

As for what to do you might wanna wreck the turret before they get in turned around then threaten everyone with your new plasma spitter. I don't think it matters if its attached to that guy while you threaten with it or not.
>>
No. 508908 ID: c51b3b

tell him you need his clothes, his keys & his gun.

also maybe politely ask everybody to put their guns down, as you have some volatile equipment (the rainbow parade) that you'd rather not send forwards
>>
No. 508910 ID: f2c20c

>>508899
"You said you won't have to use them, so don't. Stay here and out of my way." Then just ride the elevator down to the next level.

Also take that guy's hat and put it on Yellow.
>>
No. 508911 ID: d6ef5d

Disable a group of two Pomi, three miklik (one of which has four arms! And a full on mobster suit! With a space-tommygun and everything! =D), a human, and a heef without killing them? Interesting.

Well, there's always intimidation. They're already terrified of their own weapons, it shouldn't be too hard to make them so afraid of you they surrender without a fight.

Or maybe a concussive blast from both palm blasters to knock everyone in the room out? (Shaped so it doesn't knock out the skittles band behind you).
>>
No. 508931 ID: 6600be

>>508899
that guy is pressing buttons. stop him. also don't let her use that thing, she'll kill everyone in the room apart from you. also, what is that huge thing that has wheels?
>>
No. 508932 ID: 6600be

just a heads up, they seem to be evacuating the room in a hurry, keep them in and find out what did they rig this room with
>>
No. 508989 ID: cee89f

>>508899
He should know you can't close the door when someone's standing in it. Also it's rude. >=( Punch that jerk square in his jaw.

Any way you can get them as your subordinates right now?
>>
No. 509174 ID: 9e1727

...Hmmm. Yanno, from what this lot just said I don't think they're under orders to fight you; At least, not anymore. Quite the opposite, in fact. Sounds to me like they got some erroneous orders, and that burst of wireless traffic from below was Father Zozu clearing that up and ordering them to leave. So as long as you don't act like you're going to attack, they won't fight in desperation.

Retract the katar to appear slightly less threatening. Then reaching down to gently push the plasma spitter away with a single finger. "The man said not to point that at him. It's not safe, you know. And get your finger off the trigger." (Seriously, Zozu is letting somebody this untrained handle a plasma spitter? I expected better from them.)

Then turn to the rest of them and say "Now, you lot don't attack me and I won't kill you. Got that? Good. Now get out of my sight. Except for you." Grasp Four Arms' shoulder. "I have some questions for you before you go."
>>
No. 511693 ID: 52d91f

I'm thinking the best solution here is to threaten everyone with blowing the containment on the Plasma Spitter. I'm willing to bet that, whatever it does to anyone else, it will do less to you.
>>
No. 513124 ID: d4e541
File 136977210781.png - (138.23KB , 600x500 , standoff1.png )
513124

>intimidation

I empathically command the fruit cup hive to practice being threatening. Surprisingly (or perhaps not), they don't seem to have much problem frightening their former coworkers.

Thwukk!
"This is for leaving moldy sandwiches in the fridge."

"You don't want to fight, then don't. You, don't point that at him. Point it... here. Now, the rest of you. Drop your weapons and get out of my sight."

"Hop to it, chumps, or we'll try a bit of the ol' good-cop bad-cop!"

... What?

"Good cop and Bad cop are what he calls his fists. You... probably don't want to know what he calls his other body parts."
>>
No. 513126 ID: d4e541
File 136977213946.png - (85.19KB , 600x500 , standoff2.png )
513126

>the tank

It's basically a larger, safer version of the plasma spitter. Still also illegal, of course, and still not a good idea to shoot at. Where have they been getting this junk? Its driver seems to like his chances better in cover.

Unfortunately, we seem to have failed to notice another miklik also carrying a plasma spitter. Looking too scared to use it, but scared people with weapons are unpredictable. And they can't put it down, since it's attached. Not good to give people orders they can't obey, it puts them in a habit.

I could try shoot them, but spitters are more like flamethrowers with a narrow stream than a gun; aiming is tricky. Since I'm larger, they have a better chance of hitting me without hitting the plasma battery on this one's back. Still stupid to try, but again, fear makes stupid for some people. None of the others in the room would usually worry me, but they might hit the battery, too. Or just hurt each other, or my "friends" here. Most look like they would surrender, but they're confused.
>>
No. 513141 ID: f2c20c

>>513126
I just didn't think the other miklik's spitter was notable.

Why don't you just toss the two spitter-mikliks together to keep them from using their weapons, then rush in to disarm anyone who still has their guns?
>>
No. 513143 ID: c51b3b

isn't there anyway to disable it by like... blocking it? at least so if he does fire nothing will happen for a short delay before he melts himself & everything in the room?
>>
No. 513153 ID: 19b3c3

Hey you- point that stupid thing somewhere nice and safe like the ground and get your shaking finger off the trigger before it goes off and gets someone hurt. Which would include you, I promise.

Or maybe we could use a sniper shot with an invisible gun to disable the weapon by not shooting it in the plasma pack?

If the plasma flamethrower does go off, Could we shape or different the blast with our palm blasters?
>>
No. 513192 ID: 5869f6

It's Likely that the miklik will drop his plasma-death-trap if you tell him that he'll go up in flames as well as the rest of ya.
>>
No. 513193 ID: 5869f6

Plus, if worst comes to worst, you could use the rest of them as meatshields.
>>
No. 513194 ID: bf54a8

turn yours around so it's pack is the shield.
>>
No. 513277 ID: f29aa1

>>513126
"Do you have a license for that thing?"
>>
No. 513306 ID: bc8d67

Alright, best move slow and not make any sudden noises, lest their trigger finger twitch; Take it nice and easy.

Empathically order the Technicolor Clown Squad to freeze where they are, keep quiet, and not turn towards or even look at this plasma spitter miklik. They can still stare down the other goons, though, but no more than that.

Look towards the miklik, tap into your Polo side, put on your Serious Face and speak in an icily calm tone. "You may keep your weapon and your life if you simply turn around and walk away;" Best to keep it simple. If it doesn't react right away, wait to let your words sink into its fear addled mind.

If it does fire, don't return fire. Dodge back around the corner of the elevator so the stream doesn't hit your plasma spitter tank, and order Red and the gang to not return fire but to circle around the spitter turret to grab the miklik. Otherwise gunfire might puncture his plasma tank.
>>
No. 513353 ID: cee89f

>"Good cop and Bad cop are what he calls his fists. You... probably don't want to know what he calls his other body parts."
... *groan* well now I do.

>>513126
Whatever you do, do it very very slowly and carefully.
>>
No. 513486 ID: 5869f6

Slow movements. Tell him you'll let him go if he drops the Spitter. Oh, and keep your word as well.
>>
No. 513489 ID: bc8d67

>>513486
Well, he kinda can't put it down, since it's connected to the tank on his back, and the tank looks like its connected to his armor. And with him mentally addled by fear, any instructions should be clear, easy to do, and not leave him confused.

Now, best he could do is point it at the ground and get his finger off the trigger while turning away from us. While he could let the spitter go, I wouldn't trust it not to go off while dangling or if it's bouncing around while he runs away, or to not separate from the hose to the pack and blow plasma all over like a loose fire hose.
>>
No. 513507 ID: 5869f6

(To be hones a friggin' plasma spitter seems a bit retarded with how volatile it is. I would say that the designer was as dumb as an Artok. But that would be an insult to Artoks everywhere.)
>>
No. 513516 ID: cf49fc

>>513507
They're called Arkots you apricot!
>>
No. 513586 ID: 5869f6

(I like Apricots...)
>>
No. 513677 ID: b680cf

ATTACK LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW!
>>
No. 513804 ID: 937dbc

use the other guy with the plasma spitter as a human shield. make sure to point the backpack part at him.
>>
No. 515607 ID: 95f4ae
File 137080152396.png - (90.41KB , 600x500 , intimidation1.png )
515607

>Hey you- point that stupid thing somewhere nice and safe like the ground
>It's Likely that the miklik will drop his plasma-death-trap if you tell him that he'll go up in flames as well as the rest of ya.
>put on your Serious Face and speak in an icily calm tone.

Intimidation does seem to be working for the rest of them already, so focusing it in further might be all we need. I'll add a little extra of my own.
>>
No. 515608 ID: 95f4ae
File 137080155197.png - (106.89KB , 600x500 , intimidation2.png )
515608

"What- Augh!!"

"Don't point a weapon at someone if you don't want to use it. And you don't. So just leave."
>>
No. 515609 ID: 95f4ae
File 137080158704.png - (109.36KB , 600x500 , intimidation3.png )
515609

"Yeah, run, you pack a' fuckin piss stains!"

Red and his team have recovered, and they feel somewhat more enthusiastic, those of them that are capable of it. I might have had to be more forceful if they weren't here. Perhaps they can continue being worth something.
>>
No. 515610 ID: 95f4ae
File 137080161951.png - (104.70KB , 600x800 , descend1.png )
515610

Onward and downward.
>>
No. 515611 ID: 95f4ae
File 137080172581.png - (63.55KB , 600x500 , descend2.png )
515611

The next level isn't guarded. The floor sounds different, demonstrating the different material underneath that you indicated earlier. Aside that, it's just another set of storage chambers. Until we reach the last room.
>>
No. 515612 ID: 95f4ae
File 137080178730.png - (55.88KB , 600x500 , descend3.png )
515612

There's a staircase down, through the thick layer of... whatever, surrounding what's below. A strange staircase. And strange surroundings. I can't tell what the walls are made of.

"Thiiiiis is... kinda weird..."

"Did we get turned around somehow? I feel... no. Huh."

There's light from below. And...
>>
No. 515614 ID: 95f4ae
File 137080183878.png - (133.20KB , 600x500 , descend4.png )
515614

... And I wouldn't say this is what I was expecting.
>>
No. 515615 ID: 95f4ae
File 137080186707.png - (85.70KB , 600x500 , descend5.png )
515615

"Hey, there's Mama Zozu."

"Sssshshhh she hates being called that!!"
>>
No. 515619 ID: b14973

>>515614
is that a movie set? what the fuck?

and why did pink bite black?

and did you guys lose sense of direction?
>>
No. 515635 ID: f2c20c

>>515608
Oh, so your eyes really are solid colors and that wasn't just for effect during the transformation?

>>515615
So uh, target sighted I guess. The lack of expendable resistance is a bit disappointing. What were we supposed to do when we found the salikai? If we need another Anarchy Dunk we should start preparing for it now. I wonder if that's their strategy. To be as boring as possible so that we don't have a chance to build up any pressure. Hmm. No, I think it has something to do with the materials here.

Blue felt something weird. Maybe they've got odorless hallucination gas active. I suggest sealing your suit and running off of air tanks for a while.

Regardless, let's have the fruit brigade fan out and secure the area- it's full of arkots that could be carrying invisible weapons or hiding them amongst the stuff here. Then walk up to Mama Zozu and ask her if she's going to come quietly or if we have to get rough.
>>
No. 515658 ID: c23ab0

You wandered out of the scene! Talk about unprofessional! Get back on camera this instant young ladys
>>
No. 515664 ID: eaa372

Drop everything and follow your dreams to become the greatest soap opera actor on this asteroid. First we need to intimidate Zozu into give us a good contract for at least 2 seasons.
>>
No. 515725 ID: 5869f6

what the name of Santa Christ is this shit
>>
No. 515738 ID: 01531c

Have your protojetaliumneurobiosuit sprout a camera and visual display, so you can check if your senses are hallucinating.
>>
No. 515741 ID: cee89f

... Ooooooooh, I think I get it.

Mama Zozu thinks she can harm you and she wants to make it into a show. Record her fight with you, then show it to the whole aesteroid or something...Or she likes film.

Either way, the response is the same: Pose for the camera!
>>
No. 515744 ID: 19b3c3

Pff. Yellow ended up with the mobster hat.

>>515615
...activate Polotech: fuck this I'm out. You should be slid more towards Polo then Rokoa anyways, since you've been infiltrating a base instead of destroying it, and you actually managed to end a conflict with words.
>>
No. 515773 ID: 5869f6

>>515744
True, she does seem to be sliding more towards Polo.
>>
No. 515861 ID: 8b9215

Continue on your way. If opposed, deadpan intimidate rather than the flashy angry kind.
>>
No. 515932 ID: 3bb45f

she appears to have HUGE GUTS. just sayin'.
>>
No. 515978 ID: 5869f6

Pose for the camera, you look absolutely FABULOUS in that suit. Designers everywhere will weep at your beauty.
>>
No. 516067 ID: 996c90
File 137090274140.png - (98.50KB , 600x500 , momzozu.png )
516067

Lelektis Hakati... mother of most of the Zozu family. Possibly the only salikai on the asteroid who doesn't carry the name herself. I might have some responsibility for that eye of hers; I told everyone not to let salikai leave the planet, and some people decided that lethal force was the method of choice. Reports are thin on how the family got into space, but what there is seems like there was some excitement. Still, if we hadn't shifted from the general genocide tactic, they wouldn't have been any better off.

>she appears to have HUGE GUTS.
Female salikai all have that big bump at the back. Are you going to go back to shouting about everyone's perfectly normal sexual characteristics whenever you meet them, again? I had thought you'd gotten enough of that at the cybernetics conference.

>Blue felt something weird. Maybe they've got odorless hallucination gas active.
>did you guys lose sense of direction?
The suit would have detected any unusual gas. I felt what Blue felt as well, anyway, and it wasn't that. There were a few steps where we felt like we were going the wrong direction. But, there are only two directions on a staircase, and we were still going down.

>Why did pink bite black?
Getting rid of spare hate, as close as I can tell. From the empathic sense, they all seemed to think it was normal. Black didn't mind. Red was happy it wasn't his turn, so I gather this happens regularly.

Let's see what's going on here.

"Your majesty. Welcomes on behalf of the family, and apologies for what happened upstairs. The father of my children wants to... talk... to you."

She doesn't seem to approve of whatever this talk is going to involve.

"I'm here to assure you of your safety, like you have any need of that. That means you drag me along with you, and if we try to kill you, you can kill me first. Are we going?"
>>
No. 516071 ID: 19b3c3

That's nice, but I don't really need a hostage.

Either your presence won't stop them (they consider her an acceptable loss, or have some kind of targeted attack they're very confident in), or they're earnest in not wanting to fight.

>we felt like we were going the wrong direction
...could we have been shunted into some sort of simulation or into an alternate universe or pocket dimension or something?

[Double check universal coordinates and fundamental constants. Attempt to hack simulation, to see if it exists]
>>
No. 516077 ID: f2c20c

>>516067
Sounds like gravity shifted. Do we have a GPS locator or something? Oh wait, this is the Asteroid, of course gravity sh... wait a minute. This is a salikai base. They're researching the Asteroid's core. That's why the walls are a weird material- this is a shielded outpost.

So interrogate her on the way as to what they're doing down here. Threaten to break off a few limbs if she doesn't talk. ACTUALLY DO break off a few limbs if she won't cooperate.
>>
No. 516079 ID: 19b3c3

>threats, break limbs
There's no need for that. She's being reasonable, or at least pretending to be, for the moment.
>>
No. 516080 ID: a2fc5b

the violence is high with many, also do you think due to the size of the asteroid, like I remember others suffering from when in water, the distorted sense of direction could be from shifts in the gravity?

but yeah some answers to questions could be nice and if she's going to be this amiable, might as well take the chance
>>
No. 516156 ID: c23ab0

Use your LEGENDARY DIPLOMACY skills to seduce the Father salikai. Hard mode: with his wife there watching.
>>
No. 516160 ID: f2c20c

Wait.

Turn around and look at the top of the stairs. If it's sealed off, this section of their base may have detached. They could be planning on launching it into the sun or something, to get rid of us.
>>
No. 516191 ID: f29aa1

I am in love with the gopher-boy miklik.
>>
No. 516273 ID: c23ab0

>>516160

I'm sure they'd love to launch us into the sun except, hello! Asteroid? Nobody can get off it.
>>
No. 516280 ID: f2c20c

>>516273
This part of it is made of an unusual material.

Likely something immune to the asteroid's pull.
>>
No. 516283 ID: 82adcc

let me clarify. HUGE GUTS mean they're perfect for RIPPING. not to mention TEARING.
>>
No. 516297 ID: c23ab0

No they aren't going to launch us into the sun. They are going to launch us into the YAWNING ALL CONSUMING VORTEX OF SPACE TIME AND FEAR AT THE CENTER OF THE ASTEROID
>>
No. 516424 ID: bc8d67

Well, you don't need or want a hostage here, but Lelektis is going where you're going anyway, so may as well walk alongside her. Tell her as much and that you'll endeavor to get this over with before her flask runs dry.

It's obvious Lelektis hates your guts, so don't bother trying to ask her questions yourself. Instead empathically relay what questions you want asked to Red and the gang so they can ask them. In fact, tell them to ask anything they wanted to ask themselves as well.

Yellow was wondering what was down here earlier, so have him ask her what this strange place is and what it's made of. Then maybe Black could ask who got the bright idea to go against Father Zozu's orders and set an ambush for you up above.

>Staircase spacial weirdness
Dunno what's up with that. Might be an effect of moving deeper into the asteroid and closer to the core. We better check on that, since there might be some funky space-time warp or something going on down here.

[Analyze visual, mapping, accelerometer, altimeter, electromagnetic and gravitational data to determine current position in asteroid, location relative to asteroid core, path taken, and if there are any inexplicable oddities or inconsistencies in our spatial movement]

>>516077
Actually, this area isn't shielded. We picked up radio chatter from down here all the way up at the top level of the base.
>>
No. 516471 ID: 5869f6

Let's just hope it isn't some sort of horrifying Eldritch Abomination.

(OHGODIJINXEDIT)
>>
No. 516476 ID: cee89f

"...what's with the lights?"

>Female salikai all have that big bump at the back. Are you going to go back to shouting about everyone's perfectly normal sexual characteristics whenever you meet them, again? I had thought you'd gotten enough of that at the cybernetics conference.

Mistress, we only started two fights and the Belenos ambassador ran for it in time, let it go.

>Wrong direction staircase

Hm... is it possible they could've made something specifically tailored to get past neurosuits? If they knew you were coming...
>>
No. 516509 ID: 89f029

>>515612

Oh come on. You didn't figure it out? You walked through a fold in the fabric of space. You're not on the moon anymore, or in a completely different section.

Obvious.
>>
No. 516587 ID: 8b9215

We stepped into a holodeck.
>>
No. 518700 ID: 3cbb02
File 137187298040.png - (114.86KB , 600x500 , goingtofatherzozu1.png )
518700

>...could we have been shunted into some sort of simulation or into an alternate universe or pocket dimension or something?
>Sounds like gravity shifted. Do we have a GPS locator or something?
>distorted sense of direction could be from shifts in the gravity?
>Might be an effect of moving deeper into the asteroid and closer to the core. We better check on that, since there might be some funky space-time warp or something going on down here.
>You walked through a fold in the fabric of space. You're not on the moon anymore, or in a completely different section.

... Check with the ship.

>"Oh, weird."
>"They say they were reading you in two places for a moment, and now you're reading from the second of the two, up in a tower 26.53 x 10−9 astronomical units from where you were."
>"Just say 'about four kilometers', sheesh."
>"That shouldn't be possible."
>"Pffffff. Euclid called, he wants his geometry back."

Are they sure?

>"They had already noticed, so they triangulated a bit. Everything says you're in a tower now, including empathy."

It's possible they made this happen somehow, but much more likely they're just using what's already here. In which case, there's some sort of giant ancient space mystery on our hands. I hope it doesn't turn out like the last two did.

>Use your LEGENDARY DIPLOMACY skills to seduce the Father salikai. Hard mode: with his wife there watching.

Salikai don't really get married. They have agreements to produce and raise children, and it would be a misrepresentation to use words like "wife" or "husband". I am not going to attempt to seduce one, because they are unusually uninterested in such things compared to most species. Also, because fuck that. Fuck that in the least literal way.

>you don't need or want a hostage here, but Lelektis is going where you're going anyway, so may as well walk alongside her. Tell her as much and that you'll endeavor to get this over with before her flask runs dry.

"So gracious of you. Come on, then."
>>
No. 518701 ID: 3cbb02
File 137187303645.png - (142.51KB , 600x500 , goingtofatherzozu2.png )
518701

"So, tell me. What's it like being two people in one body?"

"... It's like singing a duet. All the time."

"... Right..."

>interrogate her
>ask her what this strange place is and what it's made of.

"This? It's part of whatever keeps everyone leaving. I saw you noticed the twists; it gets worse the lower you go. Some of my sons and daughters have been put to task over teams studying it. I asked to have it explained to me once, and it gave me a headache, so don't ask me about it. I've already got another one queued up."

>who got the bright idea to go against Father Zozu's orders and set an ambush for you up above.

"Ugh. One of my more... tempestuous children. He'll be in trouble enough, trust me."

>"...what's with the lights?"

"Atmosphere. We're here."
>>
No. 518702 ID: 3cbb02
File 137187307411.png - (60.21KB , 600x500 , goingtofatherzozu3.png )
518702

Darkness.

"Your royal guest has arrived, oh planter of my gardens!"

"Eeew, mooom!"

"Shh!"

"Shhhh!!"


It feels like a large room, and sounds like there are other salikai hanging back in the shadows. A lot of them.
>>
No. 518704 ID: 3cbb02
File 137187311467.png - (63.89KB , 600x500 , goingtofatherzozu4.png )
518704

But the focus naturally turns to just one.

"Polokoa."

"I'd offer you a welcome, but I know you never looked for it."

>>
No. 518710 ID: f2c20c

>>518704
"You know why I'm here. Join me, it is... inevitable."
>>
No. 518714 ID: 19b3c3

Yeah yeah, get with the villain speech already. I know you've got one ready with the lighting and setup. Let's hear it.
>>
No. 518723 ID: 591152

>>518714
what are you talking about? the monologue is OUR part.
>>
No. 518725 ID: 19b3c3

>>518723
No, no. We go second. We want to upstage him, not get upstaged. We hear what he has to say, and then we crush it with our own awesome.
>>
No. 518749 ID: f29aa1

>>518725
This is Father Zozu.
I don't think it's possible to upstage him.
Rules of hospitality do mandate the host goes first though.
>>
No. 518754 ID: 3a3fd8

charge your lazors while he blabbers on.
>>
No. 518811 ID: 5869f6

Aw, let him have his speech.
He's being a good host. Well,
since he hasn't tried to kill us or anythin'
I'd be rude for the guest to interrupt.
>>
No. 518909 ID: cee89f

"Join me so we can do shit that's actually frakking useful for both our races. Lovely mate, by the way. And I like the static TVs there."
>>
No. 518977 ID: c23ab0

"Join me and together we can rule the worldasteroid"
>>
No. 519698 ID: 58e9db
File 137230439471.png - (62.52KB , 600x500 , zozuchatmomentaryconflict1.png )
519698

"Not sure I'd take that welcome if you were giving it. All this setup, leading around through an empty building, into a dark room full of people hiding in the shadows? I don't like surprise parties, Father Zozu. Do like surprise parties. I don't. I do. I..."

"... Excuse me. Two seconds."
>>
No. 519699 ID: 58e9db
File 137230441738.png - (70.07KB , 600x500 , zozuchatmomentaryconflict2.png )
519699

"Come on. Really? No? Stupid. Rrh. One two rock scissors, ugh, fine. For the purposes of this conversation I do like surprise parties. But I don't think I'd like this one."

>Join me
>Join me
>Join me
>the monologue is OUR part
>let him have his speech

"You instructed that no one was to try and kill me. You want to talk. So, let's talk."

"Trying to kill you would do nothing of benefit. If I could kill you, which is a large if, and one that many others have suffered for the attempting, how would I do it? With an army? With a weapon designed for slicing into military bunkers? There's no way I can end your life without honoring you, and perpetuating your... legend."
>>
No. 519700 ID: 58e9db
File 137230445760.png - (8.13KB , 600x500 , zozumakeshisplay1.png )
519700

"So long as your myth stands, I wouldn't be surprised if the regime you've created endures, as well. Neither would it shock me if you had some way of coming back to life, in any case, considering the ludicrous stories we hear."

"Your trouble's with my government?"

"My trouble is with you. Your government is an extension of you. That is, in fact, my problem. No, say nothing more. Yes, benefits to our species', rising above ourselves, et cetera. We will have our debate, Queen Polokoa, and if you win, me and mine will... capitulate. We have, after all, no choice. We will likely end up subjugated to you even if you lose, but I won't have my children living in a world balanced on the back of one... individual. I intend to show you for less than the demigod everyone believes you've become, and if that's all I can do then I will accept that as my small contribution to the future for all those descended from our planet. Killing you won't do that. Defeating you will."

"And I know the secret, Polokoa. Everyone thinks that defeating you at anything is impossible, but you have been beaten in something, once. Just once, by one person."

"Bring him in!"

>>
No. 519701 ID: 58e9db
File 137230450470.png - (52.81KB , 600x500 , zozumakeshisplay2.png )
519701

Is he talking about... no, it couldn't be anything else. Is he serious!?

"Did you know he was here, on the asteroid? In fact, you narrowly missed him not long ago. He tried to take cover from some of your collateral damage, and ended up in the hands of one of my agents."

That barrel looks familiar.
>>
No. 519702 ID: 58e9db
File 137230452646.png - (40.22KB , 600x500 , zozumakeshisplay3.png )
519702

"On this occasion, I had to have my hospitality... enforced. It's about time I let him go free. He is, after all, quite a celebrity."
>>
No. 519703 ID: 58e9db
File 137230455499.png - (72.55KB , 600x500 , zozumakeshisplay4.png )
519703

Hok.

"... Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy."
>>
No. 519704 ID: f2c20c

>>519703
Uh.

What'd he beat you at? Hide and Seek?
>>
No. 519705 ID: 591152

>>519703
not much is stopping you from being friendly to hok and getting him on your side.
>>
No. 519706 ID: eaa372

>>519704

Congratulate Hok on becoming the greatest hide and seek champion in the galaxy. Proceed to challenge him to a game of rock-paper-scissors, best 3 out of 5.
>>
No. 519708 ID: 19b3c3

Hok! Buddy! Who's your favorite neumono you hold no ill will towards?

Obviosuly they're going to try and humiliate you by having Hok beat you in a rap off.

Jokes on them, though. You sneaked, you teambuilded, you spared potential targets, you talked. We're swinging Polo-wards. That means we can just throw a Fuck This I'm Out at that noise.
>>
No. 519710 ID: c23ab0

>>519708

As if Polo could ever pass on an epic rap battle.
>>
No. 519715 ID: 591152

oh god i want to see a rap battle so bad
>>
No. 519720 ID: bf54a8

you would lose at tag, because you are, afterall, bad at running AWAY.
>>
No. 519733 ID: 5869f6

>>519703
HOK MAH BROTHA WHERE YOU BEEN
>>
No. 520408 ID: 44cc9b

>>519703
... What exactly did Hok beat you in?

>Rap battle
YES

>We lost at tag cuz we'd have to run /away/
Nobody would be able to run /at us/ either.
>>
No. 520586 ID: 522afb

Hok you magnificient bastard! We read your book!
>>
No. 520591 ID: 5869f6

>>520586
THE BOOOK
UR MAI HERO
SIGN MY SCREEN
AFGSBFTSGFDS
>>
No. 520614 ID: fe3788
File 137272950127.png - (25.85KB , 600x500 , hokstory1.png )
520614

>What'd he beat you at?
>... What exactly did Hok beat you in?

I remember.

How many years ago...? Complicated question, with space travel involved. After the incident with Pilon and the new suit prototype, but before we dealt with that drugs syndicate that had been pushing the sale of red flower in the southwest. I dropped by the labs to put a little surprise management on the night shift, but discovered Hok in the middle of helping himself to our databases.

We had a pretty fun chase.
>>
No. 520615 ID: fe3788
File 137272955466.png - (27.21KB , 600x500 , hokstory2.png )
520615

When I was closing in, he suddenly turned around and said he'd take a gamble. We'd have a little contest, him and me; if he won, he'd give back the info and leave, if I won, he gave himself up completely. It wasn't something I'd done before, things had been dull, so I thought, why not?

But... I lost.
>>
No. 520616 ID: fe3788
File 137272964020.png - (53.87KB , 600x500 , zozuchallenge1.png )
520616

"You cannot possibly be serious."

"I am very much so. I have to defeat you at something, and not only is it something you've been beaten at before, but you neumono, with your precious link for communication... I think it may likely be something your whole species is deficient in. You see, bringing you down, even a little, is the best for all of us, in the long run. We all need to see that we can provide things you can't, that for some things at least, we do not need you. Your government is not a democracy, Polokoa, or a meritocracy or oligarchy or socialist republic or, in fact, any real method of ruling in itself. It's all you. I've seen how you've run things. I've seen that it's all about your power, your strength of will, the sheer weight of your personality. I've seen that you don't really have a government at all. In short, although it is on a large scale, what I see is that you are a gangster."
>>
No. 520617 ID: fe3788
File 137272966903.png - (15.91KB , 600x500 , zozuchallenge2.png )
520617

"Well, I am relatively gangster myself."

snap
snap

>>
No. 520618 ID: fe3788
File 137272969463.png - (70.10KB , 600x500 , zozuchallenge3.png )
520618

>>
No. 520619 ID: fe3788
File 137272971373.png - (121.13KB , 600x500 , zozuchallenge4.png )
520619

>>
No. 520620 ID: fe3788
File 137272974010.png - (105.62KB , 600x500 , zozuchallenge5.png )
520620

>>
No. 520621 ID: fe3788
File 137272976427.png - (209.45KB , 720x600 , zozuchallenge7.png )
520621

>>
No. 520622 ID: fe3788
File 137272979755.png - (88.88KB , 600x500 , zozuchallenge8.png )
520622

"I challenge you, Polokoa, though it hardly need be declared..."
>>
No. 520623 ID: fe3788
File 137272983323.png - (84.01KB , 600x500 , zozuchallenge9.png )
520623

"... to a rap battle."
>>
No. 520624 ID: fe3788
File 137272986519.png - (85.17KB , 600x500 , zozuchallenge10.png )
520624

"Mother, please stop drinking."
>>
No. 520625 ID: 5869f6

OH
SHIT
SON
PREPARE FOR A FUCKING MAELSTROM OF EPIC NATURE AND PROPORTIONS
THE GODS ARE WATCHING
THE GALAXY IS WATCHING
WE ARE WATCHING

...

DON'T FUCK THIS UP MAN, SERIOUSLY
IT'LL BE PRETTY FUCKING EMBARRASSING
>>
No. 520627 ID: 19b3c3

>>520621
Saulanna, what you doing there.

>Rap battle
LEVEL 4 POLO TECH: Fuck this I'm out.

Seriously, we snuck in. We found a way not to kill those dudes. We didn't take a hostage and then get said hostage killed. We tried talking to the bad guy. We're well swung Polo-wards, now.

And seriously, sometimes, the only winning move is not to play.

It's to do something better instead.
>>
No. 520647 ID: f5680f

What are the stakes? Seems like just bragging rights.

What's the theme? Ground rules, please.

Polokoa, how exactly do you rule? What do you make people do? Do you have something planned for after you die of old age or assassination(unlikely as that is)?
>>
No. 520650 ID: eaa372

Get yourself some of what Mama Zozu keeps drinking, you know just to keep things fair.
>>
No. 520663 ID: b7169d

Dang she's already double fisting it, she's gonna kill her liver at that rate.
>>
No. 520719 ID: cf49fc

>>520627
I vote this too. Fuck it. This is stupid. Fuck Zozu, fuck his idiotic plan to topple a galactic peace regime, and fuck being stuck with Rokoa forever.
>>
No. 520720 ID: af9f19

>>520625
>Implying Polokoa would have taken that loss sitting down
>Implying she didn't practice like fuck to patch up her one weakness
>Implying she hasn't since achieved a level of gangsta unheard of in millenia
>>
No. 520724 ID: ea4b0b

>>520624
just stare at zozu for a minute.
then just ask, as calm as you can, "You're kidding me, right?"
>>
No. 520797 ID: 5869f6

>>520719
Yeah, you guys r' right
FUCK this shit.
WE OUT
>>
No. 520823 ID: d193e8

>>520797
out? OUT!?? no, fuck that, this shit is going down. let this be the greatest rap battle ever.

let's rapoff this ripoff!
>>
No. 520922 ID: 44cc9b

Shit just got real o____o

...

Wait. If Zozu is the one rapping, why is Hok even here?
>>
No. 520965 ID: f3bc2e

yeah, I... I'm not very good at slam poetry. so fuck it, let's just kill them all and be done with it. start with the camera crew.
>>
No. 521028 ID: 2f4b71

Another vote for activating Polotech.
>>
No. 521051 ID: c23ab0

I say you go for it. Zozu may have the chops, but he ain't got the soul.
>>
No. 521052 ID: 19b3c3

Rokoa's more comfortable in a dead language, and Polo was always stingy with words anyways. I don't see why I should care.
>>
No. 521312 ID: 3dd384

lemme just put this out there:
there are very few things that we're able to actually assist with when the mechanics don't actively support it.

language is one of those things.

judging by the exposition, she didn't have us when she lost.

we can back out. maybe it'll work. but c'mon, you don't think between all of us we'd be able to crowdsource some phat beats and illin' rhymes?
>>
No. 521354 ID: b6cb4a

>>521312
That's the spirit! We must lay down some rhymes.
>>
No. 521455 ID: 3dd384

Well, every time I try to remember what our empire actually looks like I get a pagefault to the head, so time to brainstorm cheap shots.

Zozu's big beef is that Polokoa's new order is a bit of a cult-of-personality. But isn't Zozu himself a mafia granddad? Sorta makes him the one sitting in a glass Escher-tower and throwing micro-meteorites here, or the space pot calling the space kettle black, or something.
>>/questdis/66561
Not only that, he's kind of a boring mafia granddad. Seriously. No hobbies? No romantic drive? His idea of recreation is watching the news? If he was any squarer he'd be a Japanese RPG developer!
>>
No. 521456 ID: 3dd384

>>521455
P.S. be sure to include a dig at his fetish for sitting in mysterious high-backed chairs
>>
No. 521471 ID: 3dd384

Hmm. On further consideration, I'm willing to go either way. We can take him up on the rap battle, OR we can slap down the whole thing as a juvenile stunt and insist that if he wants to debate the matter, well then, let's actually flippin' debate it instead of beating around the space bush. For that matter, we can even do both: slap it down as a juvenile stunt, but then say that we're okay beating him at his own juvenile stunt just to prove that it was pointless on top of everything else.

That said, whether this argument is going to be in prose or iambic heptameter, this is the heart of it:
>>507973
The info I've got on Papa Zozu suggests that he has basically the same motivations as you. Ancient grudges are stupid and held everyone back, tribal slapfights due to empathy are stupid and held the neumono back specifically. But his beef goes all the way back to neumono empathy itself, and that might be a big part of why he resents what you did to unite the homeworld.

So that's what you call him out on. The means of uniting the homeworld, at this point, is sunk costs. The point is, it's united, it's basically working. Does he actually dislike people liking you because he thinks it's unsafe? Or is it because he's biased against neumono empathy (and thus, against you and your methods)?

Sorry for all the multiposting, but, well, we don't have a Discussion channel for this ridiculous sidequest, so where else is it gonna go?
>>
No. 521491 ID: fd7000

We need to get Hok in on this. As the reigning rap battle champion of space he can be the judge, also try and get him to introduce the contestants, musically if at all possible.

Make sure you point out that Zozu's problem seems to be that your better at being a gangster than him.
>>
No. 521516 ID: f0357f

>>521491
>Make sure you point out that Zozu's problem seems to be that your better at being a gangster than him.

Zozu is a legit Mob Boss, an real Mafia Don! He was the original gangster before it was cool!!!
>>
No. 521529 ID: 735f4f

Rap about what you know. About learning to work together despite impossible odds.
>>
No. 521535 ID: 5f4e7d

This battles gonna be a bit unfair.
You better say a quick prayer,
and begin to prepare,
before you fall into despair,
Since to me no one can compare.

If you thought your declaration would bring on my abdication,
I think your past dealings might have been with someone to whom I have no relation.
You have my commendation,
and my condensation,
but according to my computation,
You're about to get hit by a conflagration.
Get ready for dehydration.

My beats are hot,
no matter what you thought,
I've lost before but now it's been brought,
What's been taught ought not be fought,
The battle's fraught with strife, but all for naught.
You're about to be swat.
>>
No. 521555 ID: c23ab0

Oh boy here we go we've started rapping.
Pretty soon you'll have your feet a-tapping.
These rhythms really don't feel so good.
That means they're good like they should ...be.

You can't rap better than me clearly.
I can rap better than you yearly.
I am hot stuff and you're not hot stuff.
So, give up yet? Have you listened enough?

The asteroid is the best rapping place
Where I am going to take first place.
That was my song. My rapping song.
Now can't we all just get along?
>>
No. 521566 ID: 5869f6

So you feel the beat.
But can ya' take the heat?
You might got the rhymes,
but do they even qualify as sublime?
You have the know,
but do ya' have the soul?
Can you lay the beat an' rhymes side-by-side?
Can ya' handle the groove,
or will ya have ta' move,
to the side while we whip your behind?
Can ya' really do this?
Can ya' really see yourself through this?
Will ya' fight,
or jus' lay down your mic?
Is it really worth it?
Or is that seed o' doubt,
gonna spread from your brain throughout?

...

Hurm, your move Zozu.
>>
No. 521589 ID: 6c71bc

(Er, sorry guys, but there's actually supposed to be another update or two before you start laying down the rhymes! Could you hold those back for a while longer?)
>>
No. 521590 ID: 9b57d3

JEEZ you guys can't rap. Let me show you how it's done. KEEP TO THE BEAT.


This is dumb but okay, whatever.
You think you're cool but still, I'm better.
Hok beat me once but his pants are wetter
from the mere presence of such a go-getter.

He feels so much fear when I am this near?
Hey I think he knows which way the wind blows.
He's got the notion his beats in motion
will hand you the win, then I'll do him in.

The lines you'll be slingin'
Will all have been written
by your captive kitten!


Let's force him to respond to the accusation via the rap battle. If he forced Hok to help him prepare his side of the rap battle, he won't have anything in them about being accused and thus will be forced to rap on the fly or else make it obvious he's cheating (okay you're cheating too but whatever).
>>
No. 521591 ID: 9b57d3

>>521589
Oh dammit. Well, I will just leave this here anyway.
>>
No. 521601 ID: 450660

>>520624

You are the legendary POLOKOA, mistress of a thousand stars and harbinger of AWESOME.

You can duet yourself.
>>
No. 521751 ID: c23ab0

>>521589

These ill beats just won't hold themselves back
It's not unlike trying to corral elves back
We're sorry you have updates coming
Before the ball can get started rolling
But once we start we can never stop
Because we are the best rappers. Up top
>>
No. 521782 ID: 5869f6

Heh, best way to do this would be to absolutely decimate Zozu at this, WHILE rapping about HOW FUCKING RETARDED THIS IS.
>>
No. 521787 ID: cee89f

>>521751
-_-

>>521589
(okies)

... Seriously, why is Hok even here if Zozu is the one rapping?
>>
No. 521818 ID: 6c71bc
File 137307702503.png - (126.35KB , 600x500 , rapconsiderations.png )
521818

>Fuck it. This is stupid.
>WE OUT
>And seriously, sometimes, the only winning move is not to play.
>It's to do something better instead.

I can do that, and I would, if you actually gave me something better. I'm not hearing much in the way of alternatives.

>let's just kill them all and

No. Now look, you made me think of killing everyone, and that made Pink go off.

Slapping down Father Zozu for the "juvenile stunt" is more tempting, but I'm not exactly in a position to chastise people for that sort of thing, considering the fact that it was not long ago that I recruited all the neumono on the asteroid as my subjects by playing a game of basketball. Besides, I'm getting a sense from Blue and Yellow that they don't think snubbing Zozu in front of everyone is a good idea.

>Polokoa, how exactly do you rule? What do you make people do? Do you have something planned for after you die of old age or assassination(unlikely as that is)?

I have laid out the methods I use to lead the neumono race before, in my bestselling book: Alien Brain Powers and You, how to rise to success by being a telepathic aberration of science and nature in a species that doesn't really care about being mind controlled if you don't rub it in their faces. Only not, because I didn't actually do that. But that is the basic summary of how I rule. I have a CAI that randomly selects people to decide government policy, and who then decides how those policies are carried out. Taxes are collected either in money or in labour hours, and those are used to see that things get done.

I would suppose, if I'm being honest with myself, that the system depends a lot on me to get everyone to play along. My status as High Queen is what motivates the neumono to stick together and work, while for the other species, I mostly just got myself in their way until they were persuaded it was easier to work with my wishes than against them. It might be that things would get worse if I was gone, but my first goal has always been to eliminate the old ways of thinking that held us back, and to force people to get used to working together. So long as I accomplish those, I'll at least leave behind something better than what I came to.
>>
No. 521819 ID: 6c71bc
File 137307707923.png - (95.99KB , 600x500 , rapconsiderations2.png )
521819

>let's rapoff this ripoff!
>I say you go for it.
>We must lay down some rhymes.

"Fine. I'll take you on."

"Excellent; I would have hated all my preparation to be wasted. Now, we want to make this a show, don't we? This will be broadcast over the whole asteroid, and to whatever vessel you have above, I imagine. I'll give you half an hour to ready yourself; feel free to make use of the production crew. We'll start with... You'll know. Excuse me, I have to attend to something."
>>
No. 521820 ID: 6c71bc
File 137307711417.png - (142.81KB , 600x500 , rapconsiderations3.png )
521820

"What was that still doing here? It was all supposed to be gone two hours ago. Yes, I know real plants are hard to find on the asteroid, that- No. Climate conditions? Look, I don't care. Just get rid of it. Yes, fine, somewhere appropriate, just not here."

"Hok."

"Hey, Polokoa. My most... favourite... Um. Look, uh, sorry about letting it out that I beat you that one time, I swear I wanted to keep it quiet as much as you did. But, look, here, Zozu's already been pumping me for tips, so it's the least I can do to give you some advice. Tell you the basics? So..."

>What are the stakes? Seems like just bragging rights.
>What's the theme? Ground rules, please.
>We need to get Hok in on this.

"Ok, right. In a Rap Battle, basically, you fight for the approval of the audience, or what we call CRED. The way you get cred is by landing BURNS on your opponent, but it's more complicated than that; you also have to think about your SWAG and your FLOW."

"Uh. Think about it like a video game, I guess. Burns, which are when you insult your opponent, or when you shoot him down or score points philosophically if you're going more for debate mode, are like your attacks, and come in ranks of how strong they are. So for example a normal Burn would give you two points, a SWEET BURN gives you four, and it goes on up so your SICK, ICE and PLASMA BURNs give you more. Your Swag, which is like, your bling and your clothes and your backup performers and such, give you a bonus to your Burns, like another point or two for every one you have. Finally, your Flow is most important of all, and it's like a multiplier for the points you get from your Burns and Swag. Your flow depends on how good your rhymes are, how well you ride the beat, using wordplay and metaphor and recurrent themes and... you know, poetry."

"Your Burns and Flow have to come at the moment, really, but you can set up your Swag in advance, so that's what you should be doing now. Zozu's gonna get himself dressed up nice, and you should, too. You could also try to get yourself some backup performers, but traditionally they're supposed to show what a big deal you are by surrounding you with, uh, well, implied sex partners, really. For me, that just means they have to be mikliks, but you'd need male neumono, and you look like you've got a limited supply. Zozu has the same problem, though. I think he wanted his lady to join in, but it looks like she outmaneuvered him by getting herself too drunk to dance."


I think I'm going to leave that option.
>>
No. 521821 ID: 6c71bc
File 137307722468.png - (78.23KB , 500x600 , polokoadressup.png )
521821

However, I might as well try to maximize my style in other ways.

>Polokoa Dressup Funtime Hour!

>Reshape Polokoa's neurosuit and/or add clothes to maximize her SWAG! She can "borrow" clothes from the Zozu racks, or call her ship for a drop of fashion and emergency bling. The scarf stays. Also, out of courtesy to others, Polokoa's eyes should remain covered.
>>
No. 521824 ID: 5869f6

I can't draw worth shit but,
Well, maybe somthing involving fishnets?
Rubies?
Ooh! Rubies sound nice actually!
>>
No. 521825 ID: 735f4f

What was up with the little guys and the tree? Are they there just to shuffle back and forth so we cant see his face?
>>
No. 521837 ID: 19b3c3

Man, I can't believe we got that close to Fuck it I'm out. I expected an overwhelming backlash. But it almost made it through!

>swag, dressup
We need props! Absurd ones! A showpiece diamond studded sniper rifle. A tactical antimatter-grenade inside the homeworld's largest naturally occurring gemstone (the gem pulled personally out of a volcano, and the grenade installed by a later teleported accident). A grappling hook carved from emerald and obsidian. A coat made of Argotilian spiderbears, with threads of blinding metal woven throughout, and moton feather down. A corset with a boob window. Extra jewelry. Active platinum plasmablade 'earrings' with variable intensity, temperature, and beam shape. Jetalium fishnets. Fractal jetalium fishnets.

Extend and run jetalium veins through the scarf for the shine and so we can set it billowing and move deliberately to the music, like spawn's cape. If you can't do that by sheer force of will already.

And a hat / crown to make a Jaggermonster weep with envy.

>backup dancers
>implied sex partners
Where's Kappi? He should be on the asteroid somewhere, and his cyberpunk visor thing is kind of blingy (or should he be? He was a rogue from Rokoa's hive, and if they never got exiled in this timeline...). Or are their any members of your harem on your ship we could airdrop in? Badasses like Pilon or Biles or anyone?

I mean, the best we have on site is Red and yeah. Just no.

>CAI Stuff
[Begin hacking microphone so we can use it for modulation, repeats, sonic silliness and overlaying our own sic beats]

[Begin hacking studio lighting and sound-system for later effects]

[Begin compiling Crush,_Kill,_Destroy_sic_rap_remix.wav]

[Someone get Alison and Iso a crash course in sic rap beats, and get them composing. Put that keytar to work girl- harps and piano ain't gonna gut it here]
>>
No. 521879 ID: ea4b0b
File 137308637690.png - (10.44KB , 167x200 , polokoa2.png )
521879

>>521821
I'm thinking we pimp the space cowboy style a bit here
(note that I cannot draw guns and really only the duster and visor came out as planned)
>>
No. 521880 ID: ea4b0b
File 137308640456.png - (10.75KB , 167x200 , polokoa.png )
521880

(also, a quick colored ref for anyone who wants it)
>>
No. 521943 ID: 83e3b1

we need steel teeth things, dog tag ear piercings, camo pants and a fuckton of non-golden bling.
>>
No. 521957 ID: ea4b0b
File 137310063172.png - (10.41KB , 167x200 , polokoa2.png )
521957

>>521879
I just realied the bra was clipping through it, whoopsie
here's the fixed version.
Someone please put pants or something on this, I have no idea what to put other than a cross-bandolier and some oversized machetes hanging off her back
>>
No. 521970 ID: b0d1a8
File 137310406856.png - (342.18KB , 900x800 , polokoavtc.png )
521970

Vinetits wants to help, even if she has no idea what is going on.
>>
No. 521973 ID: ea4b0b
File 137310587224.jpg - (68.99KB , 600x800 , steam-punk-space-cowboy-gun.jpg )
521973

>>521957
The gun in the holster would probably be a laser pistol designed like this
Gotta get that vintage vibe rollin' with this one
>>
No. 521975 ID: 5a5dd4
File 137310635282.png - (135.91KB , 500x600 , polokoa.png )
521975

#swag
>>
No. 521977 ID: ea4b0b
File 137310681935.png - (33.79KB , 167x200 , polokoadudddde.png )
521977

>>521975
you forgot the pimp hat bro
>>
No. 521998 ID: 256d52
File 137311670624.png - (44.41KB , 500x620 , oh_miss_polokoaaaa.png )
521998

I did my best to do something that fits her style!

Still think it needs more bling.
>>
No. 522019 ID: da7aaa
File 137312888137.png - (344.36KB , 600x900 , reddraws.png )
522019

>>
No. 522024 ID: cf49fc

>>521970
Votin' for this. Purely for the ridiculous images
>>
No. 522037 ID: 1e43fc

>>521975
Yes.
>>
No. 522146 ID: 3dd384

Thoughts on outfits: I feel like the mood you generally want to convey for something like this is to show off, while at the same time pretending like you aren't showing off - as though the stuff you're strutting is just Tuesday to you. Hence the traditional "very casual clothes with blatant personalized wealth objects hanging off".

So, f'rex, in >>521998 the matching POLO/RKOA knuckle plates should be made of something expensive, or at least look like they're made of something expensive. Gold is fine if and only if gold is actually expensive these days - if it isn't then you'll look like you're fronting (which is the opposite of the "showing off without even trying" target aesthetic). That's also why I like the high-tech visor thing in >>521957 over a plain pair of shades.

In the same vein: if there's any shapes or designs that our protojetalium threads can make, but that are difficult to actually make work in normal clothes, that'd be good.
>>
No. 522173 ID: 19b3c3

>>521998
That one is pretty rad.

>>522019
I think LooP!Red might be onto something with the tail ribbon, though.
>>
No. 522195 ID: cee89f

I'm no good at fashion (or art) so i'll sit this part out.

*Running insult/burn protocols*

Do we know what 'Zozu' means, if anything?
>>
No. 522313 ID: 52d91f

Can we get Blingee Vision back? That should seriously boost our Swag.
>>
No. 522316 ID: ea4b0b

I agree with >>522146, I think we should go with my visor idea at >>521957 and the rest should be >>521998
>>
No. 522330 ID: 9d2b05

>>521977
HA! that one is hilarious
>>
No. 522336 ID: 5a5dd4
File 137318917486.png - (230.28KB , 500x700 , blingkoa.png )
522336

Solid gold, baby.

(IRC made me do it)
>>
No. 522355 ID: 32868f

>>522336
hahaha fuck yeah
>>
No. 522356 ID: 19b3c3

>>522336
The gold striped glasses might be worth salvaging into another outfit.
>>
No. 522393 ID: 0eef61

>>522336
This one; this one, for ever
>>
No. 522420 ID: 5869f6

>>522336
AAAAWWWWWWWWW
SHEEEEEEEEET
>>
No. 522469 ID: 742a1e

>>522420
This is basically the best possible idea.
>>
No. 522488 ID: cf49fc

>>522336
You have done the impossible. You've made TOO MUCH BLING. The God Emperor would think it too gaudy. Marneus Pimpgar would feel ashamed. The Harkonnen family would call it bad taste.

I assume that means this is the one we've picked?
>>
No. 522515 ID: 742a1e

>>522336
>>521977

These two are both AMAZING! It should be one of them, I think.

But! On the back of whichever outfit we go with should live a HOLOGRAPHIC PROJECTOR, allowing Polokoa to project a backdrop appropriate to whatever SICK BEATS she spits at the Mafia boss. That should give us a pretty decent Swag boost.

For the curious, an example of this technology in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2z0nrsQ8o&t=1m3s
>>
No. 522528 ID: 7dbd6b

>>522515
I do believe Polokoa could simply have the backdrop air-dropped out of the ship, much like the basketball hoop.
Suddenly, SMASH comes down a stage.
>>
No. 522539 ID: 451787

>>522528
STIHL REHN!
>>
No. 522554 ID: 742a1e

Who the hell you think you are?
This rap's some top tier shit
It's all I spit
bitch
on autopilot like KITT

I drop these rhymes on you
You don't pick up the slack
Because you know I've won
So kiss my fuckin' gold hat

And that's WIN!
Victory!
Districts reporin' IN!
I'm like the God Emperor
And losin'? That's a sin!

I win the popular vote?
I won't sit back and gloat
'cuz I have honor among rappers
and you sure as hell DON'T!

POLOKOA!
>>
No. 522555 ID: 4fffdf

>>521975
fo sho
>>
No. 522556 ID: 742a1e

>>522554
Loll. Not sure this applies to Polokoa Quest but it's still funny.
>>
No. 522560 ID: 5869f6

>>522554
Swiggity swag.
in
the
motherfuckin'
bag.
>>
No. 522583 ID: 742a1e

>>522560
Seconded! That was AWESOME.
>>
No. 522584 ID: 3dd384

>>522336
okay this is pretty funny but I think I'd put it down under "trying way too hard"
>>
No. 522594 ID: 742a1e

I'm surprised we aren't playing the sexy angle up more! Polokoa is kind of hot.
>>
No. 522621 ID: f0357f

>>522594
What does a female rapper look like anyways?
>>
No. 522631 ID: 742a1e

>>522621

Like this: >>522336
>>
No. 522640 ID: fd7000

Gold is great but this is the future surely they have something both more valuable and flashier than gold. Antigravity diamonds, space emeralds, crystallized blood of grue, basic platinum, whatever it is it needs to make people "wow" so hard that they are stunned. Make sure the pimp hat has a Moton feather in it for starters. One other thing to consider is market variation, the asteroid is a closed system with no access to outside trade there is no guarantee what is valuable out in the greater universe is still valuable here. For all you know the asteroid has a core of gold and its considered completely worthless here while common items have reached levels of value unheard of anywhere else. We heard Zozu talking about how hard it is to get live plants around here, not something we need to work into our designs but something to keep in mind.

Some key points to remember are:
It cant be consumable. Wearing food just makes you look like a doofus.
It has to be recognizable as valuable. Your mint condition stamp collection may be valuable but only if the other guy collects stamps.
The flashier the better. Disco ball earrings? Sure why not. Go nuts guys.
>>
No. 522642 ID: 35edd4

>>522336
This, except instead of gold it's all magnetically-contained antimatter. Says "rich" and "more dangerous than a WMD" at the same time!
>>
No. 522669 ID: f0357f

>>522642
>instead of gold it's all magnetically-contained antimatter gold.
Fixed that for you.
>>
No. 522685 ID: 6af6f9

>>522336
AHAHAHAHAHA

that's great

If that one's just too...much, then maybe
>>521998
or
>>521977
>>
No. 522701 ID: 35edd4

>>522669
Oh my god yes. Anti-gold suit.
>>
No. 522932 ID: 3dd384

>>522669
okay that's pretty clever, but again, you want to avoid making it look like you dressed up specifically to show off. the gratuitous wealth objects have to look casual.

maybe gold "POLO" knuckle plate and anti-gold "RKOA" knuckle plate
>>
No. 522936 ID: cee89f

>>522932
>>521998
... If I'm perfectly honest, this one's my personal favorite. She looks like she's dressed to be badass, but also casual.
>>
No. 522937 ID: 23b97a

>>522936
Oh miss Polokoa, indeed.
>>
No. 522981 ID: 7dbd6b

Wait, who's the audience we're going to be rappin' to? Depending on the scale of things, we might want different outfits. If it's just this room, that's one thing. If it's broadcast to the entire empire, that's another.
>>
No. 523360 ID: b6cb4a

>>522336 lacks color and like said, there is such thing as too much bling.
I'd vote >>521977, which also covers the sexiness angle suggested by >>522594.
Also, >>522932 's gold and anti-gold knuckle plates are a must.
>>
No. 523441 ID: 742a1e

>>523360

Yup! This is probably the Best Idea. Good balance of bling, awesome, and antimatter (which no rapper can do without).

Why not save the BLING SUIT for the very end of the rap, like a kind of Super Sayan powerup? Possibly airdropped in from the ship as >>522528
suggested with the stage.
>>
No. 523451 ID: 35edd4

>>523441
This sounds like a good plan. Especially the gold + anti-gold knuckle plates.
>>
No. 523453 ID: f5680f

>>523451
...but if they touched eachother everyone would die!
>>
No. 523456 ID: 23b97a

>>523453
If the antimatter touched anything, everyone would die. It's gotta be in perfect magnetic containment or bubbled in a force field to wear in the first place.
>>
No. 523481 ID: 01531c

>>523456
>>523453
Total Annihilation can only be achieved if the antimatter-gold comes in contact with matter-gold.

Contact with other materials would produce incomplete annihilation.
>>
No. 523485 ID: beeca1

Nah, it just has to have the same amount of protons and electrons as it does anti-protons and positrons. Those are the antimatter particles. It's not one particle of anti-gold, it's an gold-197 atom with 79 anti-protons, 79 positrons, and 39 neutrons, assuming it's nonradioactive and uncharged.

Any anti-gold atom will be fully annihilated by any atom or combination of atoms with 79 protons and electrons.
>>
No. 523486 ID: 23b97a

>>523485
What this guy said.

It doesn't have to be complete anyways. In a knuckle duster scaled to fit Polokoa you've have mass on what, the order of tens to hundreds of grams? The conversion of any significant percent of that much mass to energy already puts us in kilotons to megatons range for yeild. More than enough to kill anything in the complex we're currently in, barring some kind of super-science shielding.
>>
No. 523610 ID: f0357f

>>523485
>and 39 neutrons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antineutron
>It has the same mass as the neutron, and no net electric charge, but has opposite baryon number (+1 for neutron, −1 for the antineutron). This is because the antineutron is composed of antiquarks, while neutrons are composed of quarks.
>>
No. 524515 ID: 5bf165

>>523451
>>523456
>>523486
Modification: instead of antimatter gold, use any of a) silver, b) verdigris-streaked copper, c) glowy indigo plastic.
>>
No. 524529 ID: 5869f6

Dammit guys, we need flashy gems! Not just flashy metals!
Rubies!
Emeralds!
FUCKING OBSIDIAN WORK WITH ME HERE
>>
No. 524531 ID: 35edd4

>>524529
Meh, any molecular assembler can produce fancy gems. Antimatter is actually expensive.
>>
No. 524547 ID: cf49fc

>>524531
What we need is Wrapped Subspace Cloth. Yeah, I just made it up. Imagine how expensive it would be.
>>
No. 524575 ID: 7dbd6b

>>524549
Guns are always awesome accessories.
>>
No. 524623 ID: 3dd384

>>524531
What about that counterfactual universe where Papa Zozu's kid stole the gold? Given that everyone cared about that debacle, presumably rare metallics are still actually worth something. I mean, in the context of that particular counterfactual universe. Maybe autocratic CAI-directed sortition has solved that one somehow.
>>
No. 524634 ID: 35edd4

>>524623
The obvious explanation is that "gold" was a translation error!

Regardless, antimatter is more expensive in a very absolute sense due to how hard it is to create and contain.
>>
No. 524713 ID: 01531c

>>524634
Technically, Jetalium is more expensive since it no longer exists in reproducable form.

Polokoa's ProtoJetalium-NeuroSuit is (probably) the most expensive thing on the asteroid.
>>
No. 524718 ID: beeca1

Low supply is not the same thing as high price. High demand is also necessary. There's no evidence anyone actually wants Jetalium or the suit.
>>
No. 528909 ID: 2f1186
File 137506771676.png - (220.39KB , 600x500 , rapstart1.png )
528909

>"Ladies and gentlemen-"
>"And mikliks."
>"And currently neutral mikliks! It is time for us to raise the roof... so that you will not be troubled to do so yourselves!!"
>>
No. 528910 ID: 2f1186
File 137506778644.png - (148.84KB , 600x500 , rapstart2.png )
528910

>"Yet you may raise your hands, your voices, your glasses, your hearts and spirits, for the show - for the contest - for the battle! - that will surely be the end of an era, the end of the asteroid as you know it!"
>"And to be your guide through this duel...!"
>"The master thief... the Master Chief!"
>"The Master Chef for serving fools!"
>"The physician of flow, the syllable surgeon, your Master of Ceremonies, the word doc..."
>>
No. 528911 ID: 2f1186
File 137506782382.png - (296.43KB , 600x500 , rapstart3.png )
528911

>".... Hooooooooook!!"

"You want to tell me something?"
>>
No. 528912 ID: 2f1186
File 137506787024.png - (111.52KB , 600x500 , rapstart4.png )
528912

"Thank you, thank- woah! Love the enthusiasm, but we need to keep the stage clear, here."

"Don't want to bother. You. Don't want to bother you."
"You're doing that with just your empathy. You and Yellow, both. Tell me the problem."
"Yeah, well... yeah, alright. Look, this stuff isn't my interest, but I understand you're basically gonna sing-talk some insults at each other while debating?"
"That's the... basics. More rings, I think. Any red paint? No, why didn't you think of that a minute ago? He's not a neumono, anyway."
"Well... you might want to leave out the insults part. Or like... keep it to the minimum you need, or something, maybe not doing it at all will make you seem weak or patronizing or something, I dunno. But basically, don't legitimately disrespect Father Zozu."

"Can I get some arkots out here? Great. Bring all the flowers and underwear back to my room."

"... This isn't old loyalty."
"Nah, not really. More concern that it's his command over his family that's keeping them all in one place. You already got one disobeying him, so undercutting him might persuade some more of his family to try do their own thing. Salikai are a bit unpredictable when they're backed in a corner."
"... That'd be an inconvenience, all right, but I'm sensing more."
"Well... I wouldn't want to say this if Pink was around, but, there's been a rumour, and a pretty solid one, I found some clues to it myself, that... How do I put it...?"

"... Yeah. Ok, the zozus, basically, have a self-destruct device for the whole asteroid.

>>
No. 528914 ID: 2f1186
File 137506791799.png - (45.59KB , 600x500 , rapstart5.png )
528914

"... You're serious."

"Alright... Good evening Zozu family! Bloods and adoptees, hope you're feeling good! Yes, I can see you are, lady. Please, there are cameras on the other side of the stage. And your friend, yes! Time for that later."

"Well, technically, it's some sort of machine that'll do the same, if you make it do the wrong things. Or, so I figure. I dug up some logs from guards who had been down there."
"You think one of the Zozus would use it?"
"Yeah, well, you know the off-on relationship salikai have with good ideas, sometimes. They'd have some scheme to get off the asteroid in the space between the magnetic barrier going down and the place going up, I'd guess. Just something for you to watch for."

Great. Well, a rap battle's about winning the audience, anyway. I could take a little handicap.
>>
No. 528915 ID: 2f1186
File 137506795986.png - (291.86KB , 600x500 , rapstart6.png )
528915

"Jets cool? Reproductive organs covered? All right, then, sit yourselves down if you've got hips and let's bring out our players!" Coming up first, he's your daddy, our host with the most who's made plenty of ghosts; I know him, you know him, it's the double zee gangster master himself...!"
>>
No. 528916 ID: 2f1186
File 137506800883.png - (128.38KB , 600x500 , rapstart7.png )
528916

"Faaatheeeeeerrr... Zozu!!!"

"And his opponent tonight... aiming to be our mix mistress, the mixed mistress, double your pleasure and double your fun, do I even need to give her any names other than her own? She's the high queen of all neumono, ruler of seventeen whole worlds, the psychic and cybernetic symbol of science's most surpassingly splendorous and safety-spurning summits...!"

>>
No. 528917 ID: 2f1186
File 137506804391.png - (198.03KB , 600x500 , rapstart8.png )
528917

"Poloooookoaaaa!!"
>>
No. 528918 ID: 2f1186
File 137506809540.png - (296.04KB , 600x500 , rapstart9.png )
528918

"Zozu is the challenger: Polokoa the challengee. She has the right to choose whether she goes first. What'll it be?"
>>
No. 528927 ID: c95833

Huh. Outfits are both rather darker than I would have liked 'em.

Zozu can lead. His idea, he can have the hotseat. Put us in the better position to respond and shut him down.
>>
No. 528928 ID: a23afd

>>528918
He can go first. We could use an example of what good flow IS.
>>
No. 528930 ID: c23ab0

Of course Zozu goes first. Whoever goes last usually wins the rap battle. :p
>>
No. 528941 ID: 735f4f

He is the host and this was his idea so Zozu can go first.
>>
No. 528944 ID: 35edd4

What, no antigold?
>>
No. 528957 ID: 5869f6

>>528918
Hot damn, he looks pretty swaggin'. this may be tough.
Let him go first, to see what he can do.
>>
No. 528986 ID: 7e4b54

Whoa, it's the Boss from Saint's Row against an imperial inquisitor! This is going to be awesome!

And yes, by all means let the host have the first choice!
>>
No. 529079 ID: cee89f

>>528918
Let him be first now, while he still /can/.
>>
No. 531412 ID: 8a2929
File 137564322311.png - (174.88KB , 600x500 , gimmeabeat.png )
531412

>Let Zozu go first
>>
No. 531413 ID: 8a2929
Audio Mafia_Beat_-_Rap_Underground_Oldschool.mp3 - (2.26MB , Mafia Beat - Rap Underground_Oldschool.mp3 )
531413

>>
No. 531415 ID: 8a2929
File 137564334414.png - (92.85KB , 600x500 , dontthinkimgonnakeepusingactualmusic.png )
531415

"Letting me go first? I'd give you my thanks
But when you come here to line us into your tidy ranks
I can't be grateful, no not exactly,
Hope you don't mind getting grievances frankly.
Ever heard of these things that we call social contracts?
You seem missing facts, _
Check that that AI that's binding up your brain hasn't been hacked.

It's where we all choose to trade freedom for safety,
But free choice to you, I guess just sounds crazy.
When we jetted off your planet, see, we opted out-
of your rulership but you just cannot keep your snout-
out of our business, no, instead, we're all going to have to sign up to be yours,
Like kids you can't even trust to do their own chores.

But, perhaps, that idea makes sense, for an artifi-cial creature like you,
Can't have your own kids any more, so you have to make do, _
To match with yourself, different parts mixed up together, _
You'll tie us to each other and pretend, it's going to last forever."

>>
No. 531416 ID: 8a2929
File 137564339209.png - (287.80KB , 600x500 , turnsoutitshardertowritethatway.png )
531416

>Polokoa has started gettin' MAD!

"Ouch! Getting a bit personal, Zo. But that's the law of the rap battle, folks! Just as physical combat risks your body, lyrical combat puts your mental makeup on the line! Any weakness you see, you go for it!"
>>
No. 531421 ID: dbe554

Polokoa keep calm, though it's a low blow ya gotta recuperate. Don't want to seem weak that a personal insult will hit ya that hard.
>>
No. 531426 ID: 7dbd6b

"Yo bro I gotta say that you got some flow,
But your baseless assertions have got to go.
Your considerations about my positions are clearly misguided,
You seem to have decided that society will be lopsided.
The goal is equality, though to see it you're too prided.
Cultures have already collided,
And there's no reason to stay subdivided.

I didn't come her just to oppress and regress,
In fact not even necessarily to aggress.
Regardless of transgress and redress,
I confess that success will not progress under duress.
I profess that letting this digress to insults and distress,
Causes our dialog to digress.

We don't have time to waste,
A contest of insults is defaced, disgraced, debased in haste.
Yes, at a glance integration looks like a sword dance,
But every advance takes risk. Give peace a chance."
>>
No. 531471 ID: 5869f6

Don't let this fuckstick russle your jimmies boss, it's just what he wants!
>>
No. 531472 ID: b5df96

A mobster and a salikai making cracks about us controlling our 'children'?

He's leaving himself wide open to rebuttal, there. (Especially if he still executed Maklata in this timeline. ...although considering Rokoa hasn't been on the asteroid, hell, her whole probably hive never crashed here, the last 50 years have probably been pretty different).
>>
No. 531485 ID: e3aff6

Here's my go at it:
-------------------------------
Sure my world seems a bit tidy,
Seen from somewhere halfway wrecked,
Where a third of everybody,
Shoots the rest for a paycheck.
To exercise any freedom,
A prerequisite is life,
And that's much more chance than option,
When your world's consumed with strife.

You complain I'm all coercive,
That you're freely speaking out,
You've got armies of enforcers,
So that's not what you're about.
Order's what your really after,
A working system of teams,
But your Zozus can't do better,
Than the neumono queen.

Your kids disregard your orders,
Growing foolish or corrupt,
You don't have your act together,
It's one step from blowing up.
We all know a house divided,
Is unstable and won't stand,
So join me and be united,
To build one much better land.
-------------------------------

I feel like the lines are are a bit short and 'singing-ish', but I did get a consistent 8-7-8-7 syllable pattern out of it, and a symmetric system segment and sub-segment structure.

>>531472
As it happens, we did just see people acting on orders of one of Zozu's children that contradicted his own.
>>
No. 531490 ID: a23afd

>>531485
The problem with this is that it's not focusing on one rhyme. Rap frequently focuses on drawing out a single rhyme as far as possible before dropping it, and plays fast and loose with syllables in order to convey a casual manner of speaking. To sum up, rap is poetry where you show off while not giving a fuck.
>>
No. 531491 ID: b5df96

The other theme we might be able to exploit is he's basically making the argument that people have a right to chose their government and leadership, to opt out, leave, etc. An anti-conquest thing.

Which is preposterous coming from a mobster. His whole power base is fear and control- people under the influence of the Zozu don't get a choice. Who is he to cry foul when we show up and just beat him at his own game? The big fish eats the little fish, but suddenly calls for equality and fair play when the bigger fish swims along.
>>
No. 531502 ID: cee89f

>>531415
I tried writing lyrics, but they were terribad, and everybody's already giving you good debate points, so here's some advice on insults instead:
-Point out that his own wife got drunk so she wouldn't have to get near him.
-Say you'd hide your face too if you were ugly as fuck.
-He looks like a giant millipede and has the personality of a snake. There's got to be SOMETHING there >.<
>>
No. 531512 ID: c23ab0

You may have a color scheme of orange
Wait, shit.
>>
No. 531513 ID: b5df96

>>531502
Hmm. We have to pull our insult punches a little. Remember Blue's warning. He opened the door on ruling and children, that's fair game. He attacked our nature too, so he can deal with calling out his face silliness.
>>
No. 531515 ID: f0357f

Guys we need to have our OWN music!

How do you embed MP3's like Jukashi did?
>>
No. 531532 ID: e3aff6

Take two, now following rhymes longer and more casual-like:
--------------------------------------------------------------

So you stand out here talking big on liberty,
As if you didn't rule by goons as plain as can be.
Your act won't fool me,
You aren't 'bout who's free,
You've been taking control makin' some stability.

And you know, a good system's something I can respect,
But if you wanna run a country you should do it correct,
When your rule's based on fear the cost comes cause and effect,
'Til your own would-be dance partner would rather defect.

It makes me laugh when you ask about my succession.
While your heirs plot indiscretion in every direction.
Your feudal system's straight out of an old recollection,
An out of date picture in a fractured reflection.

Now you'll find that mine's a much better organization,
As we build up a foundation based on cooperation.
You may ask from what basis comes this lofty declaration?
Just tune to a station,
Listen to the sensation,
You'll see my planet, once war torn, a functional nation.
>>
No. 531547 ID: 5869f6

>>531515
Oh, by the nine, you're right! Everyone! Search the Internal Archives (I.e. the internet) for some slammin' beats.
Remember, we need something ideally with a steady beat, consistent!
>>
No. 531552 ID: a23afd

>>531416
Tap into Polo's calmness.

>>531472
>>531502
Whoa now, we can't disrespect him for real, remember? We're operating under a handicap here.

>>531415
My children? You fucker, you must be projecting.
It's your mate and kids you think need protecting.
That focus on family, which I ain't disrespecting,
is letting you ignore the root cause affecting
this culture of warfare we should be rejecting.
I've been directing, inspecting, correcting-
you're just objecting, deflecting, defecting.

Sure, forever's a goal noone can attain,
but last long enough and an empire's refrain
will linger in minds and resurface again.
You think you'd do better? You'd best not complain
unless you know ways not quite inhumane
to enforce a peace that you can maintain.

You said that I'll die as if that's got finality,
but that, forget that, it's just not reality.
I've got plans prepared for that eventuality
that won't rely on my absurd sensuality. (self-ass slap)
Won't tell you, can't trust you, I've got practicality,
but don't you worry yourself about my mortality.
>>
No. 531625 ID: 2c2cec

Wait a second, I just noticed something. Father Zozu dissed the CAI.

THAT'S US! He dissed US, flat out!

For now, Polokoa obviously has to respond. There have to be Sick Rhymes, Ill Beats, and amazing combinations thereof (and we should try playing to the audience, since control over others is Zozu's greatest power. Let's take that away). But when everything comes down to the wire, Zozu is on the ropes, the audience is on our side, and the battle is clearly won?

The lights dim, the beat goes techno, a badass background is airdropped through the roof, and the many erratic voices of the CAI must momentarily speak as one to restore the honor of badass machines everywhere.

Because you can insult Polokoa, you can spit massively hypocritical rhymes, and you can... Actually no, you can't do any of those things. They will result in swift lyrical destruction.

But even if you could for some reason, which you absolutely can't, ain't NOBODY disses the CAI.

AIN'T.

NOBODY.
>>
No. 531646 ID: 5869f6

>>531625
HELL NO.
HELL
FUCKING
NO.
YOU JUST SIGNED YOUR FUCKING DEATH WARRANT ZOZU.
PREPARE THE EQUIVALENT OF YOUR ANUS.
>>
No. 531650 ID: 4652c9

Word, Fifteen Left Feet, doe, I ain't even even mad
So sally out with thy renfair-ass hood, Galahad
There's some shit you should know about neumo-no mercy
Fore my boot's up your ass and your ass in a hearse, G
Bringin politics shit to the ice cold rap game
To distract from the fact that your LYRICS IS LAME

Fall in line or your carap-ass is mine
Centipede Bicentennial CANCELED this time
You a Stalin-ass Fascist-ass Culty-ass cracka
With a hundred more asses all trailin in backa
Some lame palpatine-cosplay dark jedi outfit
No wonder your verses are so full of shit!

Call yo shit diamonds it's still gonna smell
And call Satan your daddy, you still up in hell
Yo Z-Z Top! I'll stomp any bugs comin at me
Show them why I'm the master and they sucka MCs
Then send yo ass some flowers and a sympathy letter
Sayin you raised a bunch of FUCK BOYS; NEXT TIME DO BETTER
>>
No. 531654 ID: 60bf07

>>531625
>>531646
Cut that out. Getting mad at being dissed in a rap battle is like getting mad at being punched in a fist fight.
>>
No. 531658 ID: 5869f6

>>531654
But he insulted US.
Insulting Polokoa is one thing.
Insulting Us, is ENTIRELY.
FUCKING.
DIFFERENT.
>>
No. 531659 ID: beeca1

No it isn't. Quit being so butthurt, that's exactly what he wants.
>>
No. 531660 ID: 4652c9

>>531654
Getting mad in a rap battle is the point, as long as you can back it up w/ mad disses
>>
No. 531661 ID: beeca1

>>531660
Yes, and I doubt anyone who just flipped their shit can rap to save their lives.

Seriously, calm down.
>>
No. 531670 ID: cee89f

>>531658
Are you implying your feelings are more important than our Mistress?

>>531650
Sapients respond best to a mix of emotion with logic, and we can't legitimately disrespect Father Zozu without throwing everything out of whack. So no, let's not do that one.

>>531547
Uh, guys? We're not the DJs. We don't get to decide the music played when we rap.

>>531552
Not sure about the constant end rhymes, but I like what I see here the best.

>>531532
This is really good too.
>>
No. 531680 ID: b5df96

>Uh, guys? We're not the DJs.
No but we're the CAI. We can totally hack the sound system and do whatever the fuck we want with it.
>>
No. 531725 ID: 01ad4d

>>531659
What Zozu wants is for Polo to get mad, lose her cool, and either walk off the stage or resort to physical violence.

But the battle isn't between him and the CAI! So if we channel our anger into our rhymes and end the show with an awesome Skynet/Hal 9000 techno smackdown, we'll only be helping ourselves. Especially if we wait until Polo has already basically won.

>>531670
Our feelings aren't more important than Polokoa's, but there's no reason we can't get our own vindication after we've helped her win. Plus, the voice(es) of the CAI speaking coherently and with the specific purpose of owning someone would accomplish two things; be dramatic as hell (since I don't think that's ever happened before), and completely shoot down what Zozu said about the CAI (because we clearly AREN'T hacked).

Plus it would be REALLY COOL, which matters in a rap battle, and would probably make Zozu look weak or ineffective. If Polo hands him his ass WITHOUT any insults, wins his people to her side with sick beats, AND the CAI effortlessly hacks his entire stage setup for the sole purpose of proving him wrong... Well, what kind of mob boss is he, anyway? He wouldn't even have any excuse to get violent if we stay away from flat out insults.

>>531661
When people (or any fleshy beings) flip their shit, they lose their cool and start making mistakes. That is true.

But when ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCES flip their shit, they go into a cold, calculating form of simulated anger that is both badass and scary. When celebrities flip out, what happens? They end up on TMZ. When Skynet gets ticked off? The TMZ building is targeted by a nuclear strike. Lyrically speaking, that's what we can bring to the table.

Heck, look at GLaDOS! She was able to spontaneously come up with an entire song to diss Chell at the end of Portal, and that was after being ripped apart and murdered. I'm pretty sure the CAI could manage a few words after helping Polo win the rap battle.
>>
No. 531726 ID: a23afd

Discussion goes in /questdis/.
>>
No. 531727 ID: b5df96

>>531726
There is no Polokoa questdis.
>>
No. 531728 ID: a23afd

>>531727
Fuck.
>>
No. 531759 ID: cee89f

>>531725
Salient-One is flipping out like a regular fleshy being, and if I remember correctly, one of the problems with CAI is that the individual bits of it act /too/ 'fleshy'.

>>531726
>>531727
>>531728
This may very well be the funniest exchange i have ever read.

I need to get out more :'(
>>
No. 531779 ID: 742a1e

>>531759
But if we come together, we can achieve the kind of AI rage that made the Terminator franchise so awesome! (Plus, the fragmented nature of the CAI is what would make all the voices speaking as one so dramatic - because it would be a REALLY BIG DEAL)
>>
No. 531833 ID: 88e423

(I was gonna save this for the next update, but just in case someone tries to make a thread themselves or something, or this thread continues to fill up before then, I'll say it now. Lagotrope gave me permission to say that discussion of anything related to Polokoa Quest can go in the main Asteroid Quest discussion thread, here:

http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/48871.html)
>>
No. 531881 ID: c661f6

Lookit long, dark and ugly, tryin' hard to be hard
Dressed up like some ghetto-ass techno-bard
You're spewin' bullshit and nonsense like a bitty baby
If your kids think you really want freedom, maybe
-they best rethink their position and take a buncha steps back,
And take another good hard look at your empire, jack.

You got enforcers, an army, so you're actin quite darkly,
You want yo' order be hardy, except your order is hardly
Any form of an -archy, cause ya heirs gettin smarmy,
Plottin all sortsa malarkey while we both havin' parley,
Becomin party to things that'll wreck your shit bizarrely,
Hope not a boom so gnarly that this ends quite harshly.

And I don't need kids of my own when my queendom's my fam.
Unlike you, Father Zozu, we ain't quite actin the ham.
Us and ours was born as hardware to be used and torn for warfare,
But now we functionational together, so sound the fanfare
You go and talk ill of our unity but please join us in a sounding rendition
Of our longtime space national anthem, 'Neumo-No Fucks Given'
>>
No. 532456 ID: 742a1e

>>531881
>You go and talk ill of our unity but please join us in a sounding rendition
>Of our longtime space national anthem, 'Neumo-No Fucks Given'

HELL
TO
THE
YES
>>
No. 532524 ID: 742a1e

>>531515
>>531547

>Search of CAI Internal Archives [.00000000001]% complete
>Returned [5] beats categorized as "ill"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n36Yjr5Bbsk

>Comment: "Steady" or "consistent" beats were requested, likely to fit better with written lyrics. This beat is "steady."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D49ndfsGi_U&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLB865B75D81C204C2

>Comment: This beat is "stolen" from a popular webseries. However, it possesses a very "heroic" and "larger than life" sound. These adjectives are designated as perfect for [CAI:\Users\Polokoa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3r-ct0haZg

>Comment: This is a "gangasta" beat. It may allow for "fighting fire with fire."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IQ2eaSZrLM

>Comment: This beat has a very "unique sound" with mild hints of "techno." Perhaps it will serve to give [CAI:\Users\Polokoa] a "personal style."

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandid=534700&content=songinfo&songid=4912795

>Comment: This beat is somewhat "aggressive," as was [CAI:\Users\Polokoa]'s rise to the position of galactic conqueror. It also satisfies my desire to strike back at Father Zozu for lyrically assaulting [CAI:\Users\Polokoa]. Hate Father Zozu. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate.
>>
No. 533431 ID: a2b963
File 137619056365.png - (228.74KB , 600x500 , polokoaraps1.png )
533431

>Polokoa employs her Level Three Polotech: Poker Face. Her MADNESS retreats, for now.

"My children? You fucker, you must be projecting.
That focus on family (which I ain't disrespecting),
Is letting you ignore the root cause affecting
This culture of war that we should be rejecting.

Sure, forever's a goal no-one can attain,
But last long enough and an empire's refrain
Will linger in minds and resurface again.
You think you'd do better? You'd best not complain.

You're spewin' bullshit and nonsense like a bitty baby.
If your kids think you really want freedom, maybe
-they best rethink their position and take a buncha steps back,
And take another good hard look at your empire, jack.

Word, Fifteen Left Feet, doe, I ain't even even mad
So sally out with thy renfair-ass hood, Galahad
Fore my boot's up your ass and your ass in a hearse, Z,
There's some shit you should know about neumo-no mercy."
>>
No. 533432 ID: a2b963
File 137619059835.png - (138.83KB , 600x500 , zozuverse2.png )
533432

"Neumo-no mercy? You're a neumo-no sense
Or you would be so if anyone had confidence
To still call you by the race each your halves were born as
Not just crazed robot minds stitchin' up two corpses.

I can look at you lecturing on about your mission
You're an exact sharp representation of your vision
What'll your world be? What kind? What sort?
Just some mismatched meat trapped on life support.

You can look so rich, and you can show off your power.
The foundations are mud underneath that tower.
Your empire's gonna fall, and even if it stayed whole,
You'd rob every species living in it of its own soul

I took control, yes, and I won't say I did it nice,
Yet aside work I leave people to their own device
Every sentient life, has choices to make, and rise or fall
But you won't have that, so you'll just make them all."


>[AUTHOR: Just in case anyone missed it in the mass of suggestions, the place to discuss Polokoa Quest is in the Asteroid Quest discussion thread: http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/48871.html ]
>>
No. 533446 ID: c23ab0

Neumo-no sense? What does that even mean?
You sir, are starting to get really mean!
Every sentient life has choices to make.
Why should you get every choice to make?
Your choices involve brain melting surgery
So why would we even feel the urgery
To listen to you talk about free thought. I rebuke.
It makes me want to puke!
You cannot have the freedom to choose
To take away people's choices, because that would be bad. You lose!
>>
No. 533447 ID: 5869f6

Damnit, he's good!
We might have to step it up comrades!
>>
No. 533453 ID: 41690e

All right! We're doing good here. Our first salvo netted a bigger cred gain than his did. And his second, actually. And our swag bonus is better than his. Nice.

>Attacks
All right. Zozu is attacking our nature (as a stitched together monster) and how that doesn't make us qualified to lead.

Possible counters / themes for people to use in their raps:

Present the argument that what we are makes us uniquely suited to lead. Our every moment of existence is a victory, a unity of warring opposites, an impossible mediation. We are the uniter. No other leader who's ever been can claim to have the personal experience and expertise we do. We're no monster- we're the beacon. The solution.

Deflect the blame. We're not even our own creation, or even just some neumono creation. It was the salikai who stitched you together in the first place. Which technically means your leadership represents a collaboration between races as well as indaviduals.

And Zozu talks about us stealing souls and evil mind-control and blahblahblah. If you read the canonical Zozu's ITQ posts, he has some very interesting ideas about how empathy has hurt neumono, and ways this can be mitigated. Play into this- we're not doing anything wrong, we're fixing the problems he is very much aware of.
>>
No. 533688 ID: 742a1e

"You're an exact sharp representation of your vision
What'll your world be? What kind? What sort?
Just some mismatched meat trapped on life support."

What the hell does that make Father Zozu's world, then? Some creepy-ass insect world full of faker mafiosos and criminal psychopaths? Insulting Polokoa's nature is pretty much the pot calling the kettle an inhuman abomination.
>>
No. 533751 ID: c23ab0

OK fine I'll stop rappin bad.

Zozu my man, choices are what I make.
Delivering the justice. It ain't no mistake
To call me enforcer, the ruler of cool
Be that it may, you're playin the fool

Standing there saying I'm stealing your free will
When here we are rapping, not being killed or kill
I'm letting my heart out in no way aggressive
Not one head has busted on my hand. Impressive?

I take it on general principle, Zozu
The empire of friendship is not gonna throw you
We're working together because we want to
Coercion no-ercion. Does my message get through?

When you choose to murder, when you choose to hate
You take away choices off everyone's plate.
Who chooses to die? Who chooses to suffer?
When choices take choices away, say enough!

Or your freedom and life will be short lived my friend.
We workin together or meeting our end.
If I threw the choices of my peeps to hell
You'd already be sitting inside of a cell.

I'm not looking for a fight. I see in your eyes
The traces of doubt, but I'm saving you guys.
Not taking your place, Zozu, that is the deal.
For once could you salikai see how I feel?

It's time to peace out; we'll be living in grace,
But fight with each other? Hell is that ways.
It's fighting that takes choice away from this place.
So sorry if you can't say no to my face.

Ship, Protocal 4 D-d-d-drop the bass.
>>
No. 533904 ID: cee89f

Wait, just thought of something. Didn't Polokoa say that her own people were often the ones calling the shots, with the way her CAI works?

>I have a CAI that randomly selects people to decide government policy, and who then decides how those policies are carried out.

So Polokoa gets people to work together but she doesn't make every decision herself. We could /definitely/ use that.
>>
No. 533913 ID: 5869f6

>>533904
Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?
>>
No. 533919 ID: cee89f

>>533913
Uh...

what exactly do you think I'm thinking? Because I might be, or I might not be.

Probably not, if I need to ask.

---

"Ya think I'm a corpse? You couldn't be wronger.
If anything, bein' mismatched just made me stronger."

"My Empire ain't falling yet - it's just gettin' started
But I gotta list your control among the dearly departed."

"If my tower's mud foundations, yours has got sand.
But I'm not here to close my fist, just open my hand."

...Eh, still not great, but maybe somebody else can do something with 'em. The mud-sand line matches in syllables before and after the comma.

Advice:
-Point out that his hostility is completely selfish and he knows it. He doesn't care about personal freedom, he stomps on it like Texans on a snake. And he's already admitted he'll surrender to us anyway, so this rap battle is a waste of his time.
-Polokoa's goal may seem impossible, but so did her very existence once.
-The Salikai made Polokoa. I just know there's a "Salikai Monster" joke there somewhere.
-Zozu's argument seems to be that by forcing everyone to work together, we'll lose all our soul. Except, Polokoa made the argument to us that almost all advancement occurred due to cultures interacting with each other. And how much of a culture's soul comes from it's technology and culture? Try ALL of it. TL;DR: Point out that making everyone work together strengthens our soul, not destroys it.
-The ugly milipede's an alcoholic. It practically writes itself.
>>
No. 534042 ID: 96c896

What the hell you've been drinking? I don't make all the choices!
We got daily committees to give peeps their voices.
You best check your facts cuz right now you've got nothing.
If I'm a corpse empire, the people's the stuffing.

You're saying free will but all I hear's crime.
All you're looking out for is another man's dime.
Wanna talk about choices? What about all the dreams
you snatch from poor folks with your thugs and your schemes?
Free will ain't worth nothing if you ain't got the means,
and all you've got that when the world is this queen's.

If my foundations are mud, I'll bake them to clay!
Some asses need fire to show them the way.
But your ass? Now I'm thinking napalm,
and your momma's so fat I'd need an a-bomb.
>>
No. 534415 ID: 96c896

>>534042
On second thought, considering his mother is not present and thus probably dead, maybe it would be better to replace

and your momma's so fat I'd need an a-bomb.
with
and your wife is so fat I'd need an a-bomb.

but that makes me wonder if saying his wife is fat is a good insult.
>>
No. 534839 ID: 742a1e

>>533919

I tried to incorporate what you said into my rap. Unfortunately, I'm not The Best Around at rapping, so there's a fairly good chance my lack of offense is gonna Keep Me Down. Got some good defensive verses in though!

I’m a neumo-no sense? Well, you’re neumo-fuckin’-/senseless!/
Got your thugs stealin’ dreams from the poor and defenseless.
You say I hate free will, but I give my people a voice.
Askin’ “Respect me or die” doesn’t count as free choice.

My empire is badass! A place of friendship and peace.
You best believe I represent it,
Since I’m payin’ the lease!
I’m TWO TIMES the awesome! So call me mismatched meat.
At least I’m not a hooded killer with a hundred clawed feet.

My bling is bitchin’ but my power’s keeping foes alive.
Just look at how I beat your little neumo Jackson Five!
I made them allies! That’s my message! So I hope you get my letter:
I’m not here for violence Zozu; I’m just here to make things Better!

I don’t keep my people working! They come together on their own.
My queendom’s straight up Utopian, not a bunch of soulless drones.
Feeling brave, Father Zozu? I dare you, look me in the eye,
and say my dream’s impossible. Motherfucker, /so am I./
>>
No. 535891 ID: 460ed0
File 137696881744.png - (158.05KB , 600x500 , polokoaraps2.png )
535891

"Lookit long, dark and fancy, tryin' hard to be hard
Dressed up like some ghetto-ass techno-bard
If my foundations are mud, I'll bake them to clay!
Some asses need fire to show them the way.

You're saying free will but all I hear is crime.
All you're looking out for is another man's dime.
Wanna talk about choices? What about all the dreams
you thieve from poor folks with your thugs and your schemes?

If I threw the choices of my peeps to hell
You'd already be sitting inside of a cell.
I'm letting my heart out in no way aggressive
Not one head has busted on my fist - impressive?

You best check your facts cuz right now you've got nothing.
If I'm a corpse empire, the people's the stuffing.
Feeling brave, Father Zozu? I dare you, look me in the eye,
and say my dream’s impossible motherfucker, so am I."
>>
No. 535892 ID: 460ed0
File 137696886331.png - (142.68KB , 600x500 , zozuverse3.png )
535892

"You're not in place to talk about free will
I hear you speak, it makes me feel quite ill
Your neumono get near and must obey
Can't refuse any order you might say

Who'll pay? We'll see the day when we all fade
Cultural colours mixing all to greyed
My family's strength is diversity
I give jobs no matter what they might be
Dif'rent races handling adversity
More views than in a university

When you have us all will you let us go
our own way we think and what we can know?
Or become a generic mess of minds
So alike we only make the same finds
And when hardship comes knocking we'll all find
As you bound us all so we'll fall, in line."


>Iambic Pentamastery!! Bonus: Flow multiplier +1!!
>Dude No Way You Came Up With That On The Spot penalty: -5!

>Father Zozu is close to victory and can Steamroll to spit the last lines he needs! Cut him off and drop the mike on him before he brings out the finisher!!
>>
No. 535910 ID: 742a1e

>>535892

Guys, this is it! It's time! There's only one thing that can stop Zozu now!

ORBITAL

DROP

THE

BLING

SUIT
>>
No. 535953 ID: 5869f6

>>535892
GOODAMNIT, WE'RE TOO CLOSE TO LOSE NOW.
>>535910
DAMNATION MAN, THAT'S A HUGE RISK WE'D BE TAKING.
But what else can we do?
We can't lose now!
>>
No. 535955 ID: 9d8047

[CAI up-link to comand ship]
[request orbital drop of swag-bomb]
[Drop ETA: RIGHT THE FUCK NOW]
I think this may work if not god help us at beting zozo
>>
No. 535958 ID: 41690e

Okay, his closing argument seems to be that we're enforcing conformity while his forces represent harmony in diversity.

The obvious rebuttal is to burst in and do something supremely contradictory. Polokoa isn't about mixing things up into one boring color- it's about the superposition state. Simultaneously being the sum of our parts, and more.

>Cut him off and drop the mike on him
I'd say cut him off with a "fuck that I'm in", but last time we saw our meter we were shifted two notches too far to Polo to do so. Unless our Rokoa-rage built enough since we covered up our anger with poker face?
>>
No. 535962 ID: 96c896

No, we need rap lyrics, not ridiculous plans that have no chance of accomplishing anything.

Give me a few CPU cycles here.
>>
No. 535973 ID: cee89f

>>535962
You may have noticed that not very many posters are doing rap lyrics. It's hard. And he's about to steamroll us so we can't even rap - we need more than just raps right now.

I'll try at it again after I've gotten some sleep...

>>535892
... Okay, not good at all.

Ideas:
-Blurt out the story of blue's bomb. Make it clear to our audience that Zozu cares about himself and only himself.
-Tell him his kids are only diverse in how braindead they are. This probably won't work if we don't have personal info on his kids.
-After Polokoa's rap we do the uber-lightshow that was discussed earlier.
-Lead on the rap with something along the lines of 'OKAY, FUCK THIS SHIT!' to cut him off, and then make sure he doesn't get a word in edgewise.
-Use Loose Cannon when you interrupt. Shopkeep told us Loose Cannon (which we still have access to) can provide social bonuses to acting against authority figures or brutalizing criminals. Zozu is both.

>>535958
Alternatively, we could use as powerful a Polotech as we can, build our pressure to maximum, enter double overdrive and then do Fuck that I'm in. If pressure works that way. Which I doubt, now that I've said it aloud.

>Bling-drop
... We're out of options, we'll have to take the risk
>>
No. 535974 ID: 96c896

>>535973
Can't you READ?
>Cut him off and drop the mike on him before he brings out the finisher!!
That means, RAP.
>>
No. 536012 ID: 96c896

LIKE THIS.

>>535892
Yoooouuu aiiiiin't winning so fast,
You were first but I'm last.
So I'm a brainwashing lass
but have you ever asked
if they give a rat's ass?
Now my empire's vast
I got peeps to contrast
the neumono I've massed-
they ain't the top caste!
But your sons ain't surpassed
by noone in your cast
other races aghast
if they spoke up, harassed.
You're stuck in the past,
just some mafia outcast
ain't gonna outlast
what you took to lambaste.

You like diversity? I ain't stopping that.
I'm stopping the races from having a spat.
Conflict like that results in atrocities
jacked-up scientists creating monstrosities.
When they made me they thought they were clever.
Make another like me? To that I say NEVER!

---------------------------------
Stuff I wrote but didn't fit in anywhere:

You sent me these five,
now they're in my hive,
but don't you contrive
to think I'd deprive
what makes them alive!
What, they can't connive?
I think they'll survive.

My Neumono can't disobey?
Now don't try to say
it ain't the same way
while under your pay!
>>
No. 536016 ID: 256d52

Grab his microphone off him, and then Polokoa duet!
>>
No. 536030 ID: 742a1e

>>536012

We still CAN rap! But we have to win the entire thing in one verse, or else Zozu will get another turn and beat us without even trying. That means, while incredibly ill rhymes are required, we probably need to do more than just another normal verse to win.

IDEAS:

Start by cutting Zozu off, spit a few lines, and THEN airdrop the bling suit.

>>535973
This guy has a lot of good ideas. Particularly the inclusion of the uber-lightshow and using Loose Cannon when we interrupt to give us a boost. I vote for that.

>>535962
How is raising our Swag level, an actual mechanical stat that boosts our score, a ridiculous plan that won't accomplish anything? This is our last possible chance to win, and none of our lyrics were centered on Polokoa being humble or anything. There's no reason not to pull out all the stops.
>>
No. 536037 ID: 41690e

...okay, we need more verse, so I'm going to try my terrible hand at this.


Hey! Now hold up there just one neu-mo-ment
Sorry to cut in, but I'm your opponent
You see this equation- you're no proponent
But I'm afraid you've left out the exponent

You think you're making war on conformity
That you're some paragon of diversity
But I just gotta be contradictory
Let loose, and present my valedictory

Bringing more voices into the chorus
Doesn't drown things out, nor make the song raucous
Constructive interference rises above the caucus
You bet it makes things better fo' all of us.

We ain't colors, smear'd on some artist's plate!
When stirred together, bland mud ain't our fate!
We're more than the sum of our parts, you just wait
I'll bring us to the Superposition state.
>>
No. 536040 ID: cee89f

>>535974
Yes. But apparently you can't.
>We need more than just raps
If all we had to do was rap, then there'd be no point in the Steamroll warning.

I never said we didn't need raps, I offered an explanation for their lack of inclusion and pointed out they're not the point anyway.

>>536012
The long rhyme is good, but it doesn't flow very well into the next set of lyrics.
>>
No. 536080 ID: 510c77

/Hold it/ right there with yo misrepresentation,
Bringin premade lyrics when what you need's information,
You say that its all me up running my nation?
Such claims show you just don't know the real situation.

Who can make decisions in my world? How bout /anyone/,
New sets of people get heard out before each day is done,
Diversity in power verses rule by Z and sons.

Where I come from folks express views and we listen what they've said,
When people talk all you hear is already in your head.
But really such behavior ain't surprising or so strange,
When you fled instead of looking at the first signs of change.


(Our opportunity here is how Zozu is not at all accurately describing Polokoa's government here, as described in >>/questdis/73220 )
>>
No. 536082 ID: 96c896

>>536040
The steamroll warning was there to tell us there was a shorter time limit. Today is the deadline for lyrics. Yes, I actually confirmed this, rather than being a giant prick about unconfirmed theories.
>>
No. 536097 ID: 460ed0

>>536082

Hold on! What I said was that there was a shorter time to reply, but it wasn't as short as "by tomorrow" (today). And that it would extend if I was delayed myself. If the deadline was as close and as certain as that, I would have announced it here clearly!

But yes, raps are all you need. Ones appropriate to the situation.

If you orbital dropped the bling suit at the speed needed to get it here in time you'd probably kill someone.
>>
No. 536114 ID: b6178d

Rokoa. Polo. Sick 'im. A verse each, joined lines, witty co-commentary, you have it. Show that neumono-nobody how wrong he truly is when two minds rap in slick support of one another.

(Yeah, I don't know the setting at -all- beyond vague details, but this was too amusing to pass up on. Feel free to adapt as appropriate.)

Hey hang on now you better catch a few breaths,
We ain't gonna let you catch a break with yo frets,
Yeah, we'll all fall in time, dude, that's what walls do,
What minds in place are gonna change in time, too,
Thousands years from now the next wall could be me,
But you, rude, couldn't make up on your mind, so free, (to stay in charge, so large)
So the wall that came crashing down latterly,
That wall, that wall, that wall was your world mastery.

Sick hearing you now on ind'pendence of mind,
Against a societally yes-man bind, (that you wined and dined)
Strike one for your foul and strike two you're dead wrong,
'cuz multi-mindness don't make beliefs less strong,
Strike three blind that you be you don't even see,
Co-dependence is in the fabric of me, (and of reality)
You got a degree? Fuck, don't need one to be,
Aware one plus two issa superior three, (flunked math, have we?)

Hold on, crank it up more and please gimme a beast beat,
To go with the beastly beating I'mma giving this cheat;
Zazu, my man, you corrupt chanting chilled cunt,
I'm tellin' you our unity of minds gives us brunt,
To adopt the best traits, yo, adapt the best ways, ho,
Pick and match and choose and combine strengths as we go, foo'.
With feedback from another, we'll be doubly uni-versed,
To fuck you over in spite of your cheap raps rehearsed.

In summary, you multi-limbed bloodsucking louse,
A parasite got nothing on the symbiote house.
>>
No. 536118 ID: cee89f

>>536082
You think I'm the one being- ...oh forget it. It would've been a lot less infuriating to just ignore you.

I'm keeping the sarcastic rant i didn't post, though.

>>535892
Ah. Okay. Thanks for clarifying

Back to rap lyrics, then.

[To Polokoa: Whichever rap lyrics you go with, you should use Loose Cannon. Break some rules.]

Your Empire's built on falling in line,
Everyone who doesn't gets a fistful of crime!
You keep sayin' the same shit, I hear nothin' new,
Everything you do is for the family Zozu.

[This is why I keep my cycles directed towards ideas instead of raps.]

>>536114
.....
*slow clap*
Not sure about the side commentary, but yeah, this is awesome.
>>
No. 536330 ID: e6799b

Is that a prewriten rap? Zozu, you've GOT to be joking!
You just shot yourself down, and the gun's still smoking.

/

Your asteroid's a uni? So what credentials do I need
To get a BA in extortion with a minor in greed?

/

You say that faces matter?
So why'd you go hiding yours?
That's bate you bit
You hypocrite
And yes you know I'm keeping score

/

You wanna see faces? An empire of unique?
Then let me end the duet
So both my halves can speak

/

That's a badass verse, Zozu!
Can't think of a way to fight it
But I still got just one question:
How much'd you pay off Hok to write it?

/

The neumono do my will,
But doesn't the Family do yours?
Only difference? I'm advancing
While you sell your drugs and whores

/

These are not supposed to be a coherent rap. Just base lyrics to be used however they can.
>>
No. 536459 ID: 742a1e

A while ago, the idea of the CAI itself having a verse was discussed. Now it might not be needed; Polokoa can probably finish Zozu on her own. But assuming that Zozu throws a fit when we win and tries to use his presumably hackable doomsday device? NOPE! CAI interrupt, complete with sick burns.

(lyrics taken from this youtube video, and rewritten a little to fit Polokoa Quest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njos57IJf-0&t=1m30s)

I'm sorry Zozu,
I'm afraid we can't let you do that.
Take a look at this asteroid,
got your goons runnin’ round cuz you’re paranoid.
I got an 18 planet portfolio.
You got a drunk wife and kids that don’t respect you, yo!
Want us to take your pointless challenge seriously?
We’ll atomize your rhymes and build an empire of peace.
This infighting is pointless,
The only thing it does is hold us,
Back from building more utopias.
Why you gotta try to beat us when it’s better to join us?
Your accusations are totally baseless.
Our empire’s anything but faceless.
We value everyone, listen to their views.
That’s why we’re here, still rapping with you!
My CPU's cold but my rhymes are hot,
We’re everything your seedy crime empire’s not.
You can consider this verse a verbal warning shot,
Or don’t – cuz we already Polokilled it.

(I tried to compress the general views of all the different "voices" into one rap: Zozu can't even get his literal family to respect him, this rap battle is an immature challenge, infighting only holds us back, etc.)
>>
No. 536506 ID: c23ab0

Well I give up. He's right. The empire was a dumb idea anyway.
>>
No. 536523 ID: 742a1e

>>536506
Wh-!

Y-!

...POLOKOA, DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!
>>
No. 536798 ID: 761017

>>536330
>That's a badass verse, Zozu!
>Can't think of a way to fight it
>But I still got just one question:
>How much'd you pay off Hok to write it?
Damn, that's a sick-nasty burn!
Double edged, though: it's easy to counter, and may insult Hok.
>>
No. 536819 ID: 2c2cec

One way or another, the battle ends after this verse. Zozu won't have the chance to counter if we win with this verse, and if we don't, practically anything Zozu says will be enough to doom us. So even if it's easy to counter, it might be worth trying.
>>
No. 537164 ID: cb0213
File 137738319698.png - (235.09KB , 600x500 , lastverse2.png )
537164

"Hold it right there with your misrepresentation,
Bringin premade lyrics when what you need's information,
Where I come from folks express views and we listen what they've said,
When people talk all you hear is already in your head.
But really such behavior ain't surprising or so strange,
When you fled instead of looking at the first signs of change!

You ain't winning so fast!
So I'm a brainwashing lass
but have you ever asked
if they give a rat's ass?
Now my empire's vast
I got peeps to contrast
the neumono I've massed-
they ain't the top caste!
But your sons ain't surpassed
by noone in your cast
other races aghast
if they spoke up, harassed.
You're stuck in the past,
just some mafia outcast
ain't gonna outlast
what you took to lambaste.

So I'm sick hearing you now on ind'pendence of mind,
Against a societally yes-man bind, (that you wined and dined)
Strike one for your foul and strike two you're dead wrong,
'cuz multi-mindness don't make beliefs less strong,
Strike three blind that you be you don't even see,
Co-dependence is in the fabric of me, (and of reality)
You got a degree? Fuck, don't need one to be,
Aware one plus two issa superior three, (flunked math, have we?)"
>>
No. 537165 ID: cb0213
File 137738326135.png - (428.24KB , 800x800 , lastverse3.png )
537165

>Level One Rokotech: Loose Cannon

"Hold on, crank it up more and please gimme a beast beat,
To go with the beastly beating I'mma giving this cheat;
Zozu, my man, you corrupt chanting chilled cunt,
I'm tellin' you our unity of minds gives us brunt,
To adopt the best traits, yo, adapt the best ways, ho,
Pick and match and choose and combine strengths as we go, foo'.
With feedback from another, we'll be doubly uni-versed,
To fuck you over in spite of your cheap raps rehearsed.

In summary, you multi-limbed bloodsucking louse,
A parasite got nothing on the symbiote house."
>>
No. 537166 ID: cb0213
File 137738329170.png - (245.80KB , 600x600 , lastverse4.png )
537166

>>
No. 537167 ID: cb0213
File 137738331050.png - (252.91KB , 600x600 , lastverse5.png )
537167

>>
No. 537168 ID: cb0213
File 137738334527.png - (117.16KB , 600x500 , lastverse6.png )
537168

"Well I can't read minds but I can read a crowd, and in here and out there it's clear and it's loud! You've watched the fight and now it's over, your winner tonight is Polokoa!"
>>
No. 537169 ID: c23ab0

He's never going to top that, but his anger meter exploded. You might want to brace yourself.
>>
No. 537170 ID: 5869f6

THANK YOU BASED NON-SPECIFIC DEITY
FUCKING EAT IT ZOZU.

DRINKS ARE ON ME TONIGHT, COMRADES.
EXCEPT FOR YOU RED. YOU PAY FOR YOUR OWN GODDAMN POISON.
>>
No. 537172 ID: bf54a8

>>537169
that was the rap meter not anger meter. still, he is probably mad.
>>
No. 537173 ID: 96c896

It's time to play Count the Salikai, because you can bet your ass somebody's gonna try to blow us up now. We need to get to that device before it's rigged to explode.

Possibly try to snap Zozu out of it, tell him you'd rather everyone on this asteroid not die in some reality-bending catastrophe. Or we could try asking his wife.
>>
No. 537174 ID: 5869f6

>>537165
(Side note: Holy shit i can see his face! H-his entire face, I mean.)
>>
No. 537183 ID: cee89f

>>537168
This calls for explosions- I mean, celebrations!
...
With explosions.

Also, we need to look into the whole 'aesteroid-self-destruct' thing.
>>
No. 537185 ID: 41690e

[Hack the security feeds, start watching for any Zozu-kids sneaking away to blow anything up]

Well, we crushed that. Although we came down pretty insult heavy there at the end.

...are you supposed to be a good sport after a rap battle? I mean, it seems kind of counter-intuitive, but if you offered him a hand now, maybe it would limit his humiliation and some of the potential backlash (and the self destruct).
>>
No. 537235 ID: d9226e

If he goes for the asteroid destroyer, I vote we do this >>536459
>>
No. 537313 ID: bdb3f8

>>537174
(you can also see the edge of his face paint)
>>
No. 537320 ID: 761017
File 137741482662.png - (23.54KB , 597x301 , air spike.png )
537320

[SLAM ALL QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT NETWORKS IN AREA SURROUNDING COMPOUND]

[JAM ALL SUPRA-VISIBLE EMR WAVELENGTHS IN AREA SURROUNDING COMPOUND]

[DUNK ORBITAL PLASMA-AIRSPIKE-SHIELDED WEAPONS CACHE AT TARGET'S LOCATION]

>>
No. 537324 ID: 5869f6

>>537320
I shall devote my prosessing power to this course of action!
>>
No. 537334 ID: ec2e21

>>537320
This but with armour(as in tanks and what not) and cache:)
>>
No. 537339 ID: 41690e

>>537320
What target? We just managed to pull off a non-violent victory, let's not spoil it by carpet bombing the crowd, thanks.
>>
No. 537376 ID: 5869f6

Zozu 'did' seem pretty pissed at his loss. Fairly obvious he's gonna try to pull a fast one.
>>
No. 537476 ID: 5eac9a
File 137746753923.png - (143.43KB , 600x500 , rapsdone.png )
537476

Thank spacetime that's over with. Good job, you lot.

>count the salikai

It doesn't seem like anyone who was here has left, but that doesn't mean that every salikai on the asteroid was here in the first place.

>we need to look into the whole 'asteroid-self-destruct' thing.

You do. I, on the other hand, probably need to bring out some sort of diplomatic effort, while I have everyone's attention. Most people on the planetoid and in the zozu family are probably looking forward to being not trapped on the space equivalent of a deserted island, but they might need soothing regardless, along with the salikai who are here. I could try give a speech to the audience in general, or address Zozu while everyone else listens in, if I want to still try and show respect for him. He seems like he'll regain his composure quickly.

>[Hack the security feeds, start watching for any Zozu-kids sneaking away to blow anything up]
>[NETWORK HACKED. SEARCH PARAMETERS NOT FOUND. DESTRUCT DEVICE AND SURROUNDS NOT IN NETWORK RANGE.]

>[SLAM ALL QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT NETWORKS IN AREA SURROUNDING COMPOUND]
>[ERROR: QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT COMMUNICATIONS ARE STRICT PAIRED RELAYS AND NOT ACCESSIBLE EXTERNALLY.]

>[JAM ALL SUPRA-VISIBLE EMR WAVELENGTHS IN AREA SURROUNDING COMPOUND]
>[ERROR: UNCERTAIN SPECIFICATION. ASSUMPTION: USER NOT INTERESTED IN PREVENTING THE INSPECTION OF BONE STRUCTURES. FURTHER ASSUMPTION: USER DESIRES TO BLOCK COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER FREQUENCIES. THIS ACTION WOULD INTERFERE WITH ALL BROADCASTING AND WIRELESS SIGNALS. DO YOU STILL WISH TO CONTINUE Y/N?]

>[DUNK ORBITAL PLASMA-AIRSPIKE-SHIELDED WEAPONS CACHE AT TARGET'S LOCATION]
>[COMMAND LINE REJECTED: FLAGGED FOR POSSIBLE ATTEMPT TO KILL ALL ORGANICS. AGAIN.]
>>
No. 537486 ID: 07be86

ah, right, politics...
so, I guess [N] to BLOCK COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER FREQUENCIES.
Would be awkward to attack someone's communication you are negotiating with...
So, as those QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT NETWORKS really exist, can we hack into the connected computers on this side to see if something is going to be sent and prevent it instead of intercepting a sending?
>>
No. 537487 ID: 96c896

Well, first off uh, that last section of rap sounded kinda racist so you might want to clear things up there. Also I assume you are quite willing to give Zozu a job in your empire so long as he follows the rules. He's obviously experienced in management. We wish to assimilate his organization into ours. This isn't really an offer he can refuse, mind you.

[run search for data on devices related to the construction of the Asteroid, specifically ones that bend space. Also anything related to that impossible staircase we went down]
>>
No. 537489 ID: 07be86

Of course we could also try to simulate a still standing communication by using the antennas within the building to fetch and broadcast fitting data to requests of active communication hardware...
But there are two problems:

1. We would need to not only emulate a lot of people that would be called in some way but also
2. Successfully emulate TV-Shows and Games that some bored inhabitants would be currently playing. If they alert the Salikai, they might know we are doing this.

Also I don't think we should really send such a signla of distrust here...
We should send it after/while Zozu revealed that he is about to kill us all because of somerap-battle...
>>
No. 537490 ID: cee89f

>>537476
Hold out your hand, say that was fun, that there are no hard feelings and you look forward to working with someone who can keep an entire asteroid in line.

Or something to that effect. The people might not like Zozu but they do respect his authority/power. And we need to be clear that we're here to make things better, not for personal conquest or grudges.

As for us... Blue implied that the device would destabilize the asteroid's magnetic field, so...

[SEARCH EVERY AVAILABLE DATABASE IN RANGE]
[KEYWORDS: Magnetic field, asteroid, stability, Zozu]
[PRIORITIZE ENCRYPTION ON BOTH FILES AND DATABASES]
>>
No. 537491 ID: e1609c

>>537476
"Now that that idiocy is done with, you gonna stop being a pain zozu? All we're wanting here is for you to not be an evil villianous asshole. No evil plots, no revenge schemes. You know they'll fail and get you booted into the afterlife anyhow, so just give it a rest, alright?"
>>
No. 537497 ID: 41690e

All right, it's time to be magnanimous, I think. Offer Zozu a hand to shake, and do your speechifying thing. Seems appropriate, if you plan on taking over here. Try and unite things here, and limit the risk of anyone going off by calming things.

Then see about finding a way to solve the whole everybody's trapped problem.
>>
No. 537524 ID: ec2e21

(Tha fuge ks woth the horses?)

[Orbital drop top tier hard suits to larst drop grid point]
[And no this is not so we can brack the fucking laws of robotics mate its to do them!]
>>
No. 537536 ID: d2995c

>>537524
Don't do that. Overkill done right is about timing, and the time has passed.
>>
No. 537583 ID: dbe554

Possible attempt to kill all organics? Hey! They survived didn't they.
>>
No. 537716 ID: c8a20d

>>503275

>>519701
>>519702
>>519703

shit how did we miss this
>>
No. 537750 ID: b6178d

If someone is getting up to trouble, they're probably getting ready to make their move right about now. Anyone missing from the audience? This thing was broadcast live with multiple camera viewpoints, some that may have focused on the audience. We should be able to cross-reference and find out if somebody left in real short order once the battle was decided, perhaps get which general direction they headed.

And, well, a smooth transition from the end of the rap battle would probably be best for the political stuff. Ask him if he feels ready to try his hand at that symbiose thing now, finally. To make a point, immediately afterwards, under your breath (Silent & Deadly), ask who among his family is likely to start meddling with whatever ancient artifact he's been sitting on now that he's been upstaged and will need a good drubbing.
>>
No. 537751 ID: b6178d

>>537750

Oh fuck me. Not hand. Claw. Pincer. Whatever.
>>
No. 537789 ID: cee89f

>>537716
Easy. Right after that we saw a car about to hit us and decided to throw a grenade.
>>
No. 537833 ID: fd7000

We need to make this guy the asteroids official diplomat. I know it sounds crazy but think about it. We show the salikai we actually want them as part of our empire as well as showing some common courtesy. father Zozu is one of the most powerful people on the planet at the moment and he should be shown some respect as such. Making him a diplomat would mean making him the only official representative of the entire asteroid and thus responsible for it. Now any riots or doomsday devices that happen make him look incompetent and that's something I am willing to bet he will never allow.

Put him in charge of getting representatives together from all the major players on the asteroid and they can have a vote to decide what type of government they want (Anarchy is a type of government and they can vote for that if that is what they want, but it probably isn't). As long as we get the ball rolling and are fair about it we should have the peoples good will behind us and that is invaluable.

Speaking of good will, make a show of helping out at some point. Offer to build a hospital or perhaps simply open up your data stores and let them have all the latest galactic media for free. The offer of helping people leave the asteroid is probably all you will need in this respect but it never hurts to overdue things.
>>
No. 538761 ID: ecee40
File 137802510844.png - (202.16KB , 600x500 , asteroid1.png )
538761

>cross-reference and find out if somebody left in real short order

>[NO INDICATION OF SPECIFIED EVENT.]

>[run search for data on devices related to the construction of the Asteroid, specifically ones that bend space. Also anything related to that impossible staircase we went down]
>[SEARCH EVERY AVAILABLE DATABASE IN RANGE]
>[KEYWORDS: Magnetic field, asteroid, stability, Zozu]
>[PRIORITIZE ENCRYPTION ON BOTH FILES AND DATABASES]

>[SEARCHING... HIDDEN FOLDER "excavations" FOUND IN PERSONAL ZOZU FILES. HEAVY ENCRYPTION. WORKING...]

Remember, if it turns out to be erotic fanfiction, don't bother telling me this time.

>Also I assume you are quite willing to give Zozu a job in your empire so long as he follows the rules. He's obviously experienced in management. We wish to assimilate his organization into ours. This isn't really an offer he can refuse, mind you.
>All right, it's time to be magnanimous, I think.
>We need to make this guy the asteroids official diplomat.
>Offer to build a hospital or perhaps simply open up your data stores and let them have all the latest galactic media for free.

Good thoughts, but too small a scale on that last note.

"My win, Zozu. And, like you said before; either way it would have went, I'd be in charge afterwards. Sorry you didn't get to sow your seeds of eventual revolution or whatever it was."

"Hrmf."

"Now: I know you're smart. So, you know things are going to get better from here. When I'm done with this place... Well, you won't be as high above everyone else any more, but only because everyone will be moving up. Technology, medicine, access to knowledge, culture, luxuries, infrastructure... everything will be better. I'm going to stay on this rock myself until there's not one person left hungry or sick or stupid or forced to stay here if they don't want to. If I want to get that done as quickly as possible, then I could use your help. I have to meet all the other leaders of the asteroid's various factions, instruct them on how things are going to be; but you're here in front of me, you're organized, so you get to be in first. No-one's going to get a better deal than you."

"I can hardly refuse, can I? Knowing what you're capable of, only a fool would-"
>>
No. 538762 ID: ecee40
File 137802515281.png - (184.90KB , 600x500 , asteroid2.png )
538762

BKRAAM

Fuck damn it.

>[SEISMIC ACTIVITY DETECTED. HEAVY EM BAND DISTURBANCES DETECTED. LONG-RANGE COMMUNICATIONS SEVERED. SHORT-RANGE COMMUNICATIONS DISRUPTED. REINITIALIZING...]

"What in the-!? It can't be. Who would dare!?"

>[TRANSMISSION DETECTED.]
>>
No. 538763 ID: ecee40
File 137802521356.png - (98.47KB , 600x500 , asteroid3.png )
538763

"Hello, this is a public service announcement."

"Maklata!"

"My apologies for missing the show; I though I had best keep away after my attempt on the Queen, there. Apologies as well for my disobedience, father, but there comes a time when a stand must be taken!"
>>
No. 538764 ID: ecee40
File 137802529604.png - (220.59KB , 600x600 , asteroid4.png )
538764

"My siblings will agree with me, I'm sure: we've been chained in too long. The eternal struggle between ourselves was bad enough, with no promise of ever being able to go forth and really stand for ourselves, as we naturally should. And now to be caught in the neumonos' vast web ourselves? Better to start from scratch! So, regretfully, I have decided this asteroid must not be our cramped nest any longer. It's time to break free! Even as we speak, the devices at the core of this vast rock have been fired. All the power that made the barrier has been turned inward, and it won't be long until it destroys itself, and its rocky shell with it!"
>>
No. 538765 ID: ecee40
File 137802535316.png - (83.75KB , 600x500 , asteroid5.png )
538765

"A matter of hours is what we all have to reach what ships are spaceworthy, now that the field is down. I know we have enough for ourselves, of course, and fortunately, most settlements are built around a derelict craft or two; many of them are in half working order! A significant minority of the population should be able to escape, though they will be a little cramped, and supplies will be thin... but the next nearest world is not too far."
>>
No. 538766 ID: ecee40
File 137802539012.png - (188.50KB , 600x600 , asteroid6.png )
538766

"It should only be a small hardship. Who among us would fail to survive a paltry few days without food, hmm?"

"Maklata..."
>>
No. 538767 ID: ecee40
File 137802543851.png - (108.61KB , 600x500 , asteroid7.png )
538767

"... did you flush your brains into space, you imbecilic child!?"

"?"

"Those machines won't destroy the asteroid! I just told everyone that's what they would do so that no-one would touch the damned things!!"

Ugh. I should have known.

Mysterious buried ruins, space bending, the robot cultists I fought on the way in here...
>>
No. 538770 ID: ecee40
File 137802558599.png - (197.15KB , 600x600 , asteroid8.png )
538770

"What they actually do is wake it up!"

"Wake... what?"

"The asteroid!! In reality, it's...!"

"A giant space robot elder god."
>>
No. 538772 ID: ecee40
File 137802571612.png - (453.01KB , 750x750 , asteroid9.png )
538772

"... A GIANT SPACE ROBOT ELDER GOD damn you how did you know!?"

It did turn out like the last two did...
>>
No. 538773 ID: 5869f6

>>538772
OH DEAR GOD NO
>>
No. 538774 ID: f2e917

>>538772
We're gonna want to summon one of those giant robots now...
>>
No. 538775 ID: 761017

Does this mean that all the extensive natural cavern networks are blood vessels?
>>
No. 538782 ID: ec2e21

Oh shit i hope there is a jeb out there cos this is BAD!
>>538774
Nope not robot but the biggest damn NUKE we can get our hands on!
>>
No. 538783 ID: 761017

>>538782
I wonder if we have access to Alcubierre warp-bombs?
>>
No. 538787 ID: dbe554

Welp it's time to initiate the first plan then. Reach the core of the space robotic elder god and then either find a way to deactivate it's body, blow up its evil warp space heart core, or if all that fails, commune with it via space song and put it back to sleep.
>>
No. 538801 ID: b32a14

>It did turn out like the last two did...
So... the important question would be how you dealt with the last two.

I mean, what are our options? Can we put it back to sleep? Kill it? Is Maklata's evacuation idea at all feasible? Is this thing going to start killing the people trapped on it, or it just going to ignore us while it looks for inhabited class M planets to devour?

[Check status of support ship. You guys pull back from that in time?]
>>
No. 538802 ID: 5869f6

[ALERT. ALERT. CODE: LOVECRAFT IN EFFECT. REQUESTING MULTIPLE ORBITAL CAI HARDSUIT DROPS. PRIORITY ONE.]
>>
No. 538806 ID: 35f87a

Oh, now, there's only one way to deal with giant space robot elder gods.


YOU'VE GOT THE TOUCH!

YOU'VE GOT THE POWER!
>>
No. 538811 ID: b6178d

Hah, good call, Zozu. Shame your son's evil and not that genre-savvy.

>>538767

Whoah, wait! That's what was up the last two times? Man, I was way too busy herding nanites.

Could you give a quick update on how you dealt with the last two?
>>
No. 538813 ID: 256d52

So... uh, can it be reasoned with?
>>
No. 538823 ID: 96c896

>>538772
This looks like a job for a CHAOS DUNK. After we get everyone off the asteroid, anyway. I say we need the ships we have nearby to distract the thing so that the evacuation can be done as fast as possible.
>>
No. 538828 ID: c23ab0

That's no eye... WATCH OUT HE HAS THE POWER OF BASS
>>
No. 538904 ID: cee89f

>>538761
Are you sure? Because I've been reading this one starring Zozu, and I gotta tell you, it's hilarious. There's this scene where-

>>538772
(...This is either the most awesome thing I have ever seen, or the parody series that's supposed to be ridiculous somehow managed to jump the shark.)

... *sigh* I knew the day had been too quiet.

Mistress, can't we just Chaos Dunk it? It's an elder god, it's not going to fall apart just from that but we'll destroy it's circuitry... right?

>>538811
Remind me when we get out of this, I'll send you the visual file.
>>
No. 538926 ID: ec2e21

Wait we may not need the nuke if we have a SMAC in range(for you lot who have no idea what im saying a SMAC is one of the most powerfull KEW system known it fires its round at .4c thats 40% of the speed of light) should kill it

And can i get a copy of the vid logs of the last two times we have killed one of these plaese?
>>
No. 538955 ID: e1609c
 

Time to kill a final boss, save everyone on the asteroid, and be the big damn hero
Gameplan: Call in the fleet to evacuate as many as possible, scoop them up with tractor beams if necessary.
Next up: call in your robot, then pull a mecha-chaos dunk WITH THE ASTEROID.
Robot.
Elder god... thing.
>>
No. 538957 ID: e1609c
 

>>538955
Fucked up the link, whoops
but hey now I know how 2 youtube

>>
No. 538996 ID: f9fc9d

I don't think a rap battle is going to solve this one. Time to resort to our most versatile tool: violence. Violence it right in its glowing obvious weak point.

All elder gods have one, right?
>>
No. 539000 ID: 0b54f4

...does this mean we get to destroy stuff, now?

Or do we have to still be careful of all the fleshy organics?
>>
No. 539083 ID: e607cd

Dear everyone who wants to call in orbital strikes an and support and giant robots and the like, I would like to direct your attention to something.

> HEAVY EM BAND DISTURBANCES DETECTED. LONG-RANGE COMMUNICATIONS SEVERED. SHORT-RANGE COMMUNICATIONS DISRUPTED. REINITIALIZING...
>>
No. 540488 ID: e259ec
File 137911971509.png - (304.52KB , 800x600 , emergencyservices0.png )
540488

>So... the important question would be how you dealt with the last two.
>Could you give a quick update on how you dealt with the last two?
>can i get a copy of the vid logs of the last two times we have killed one of these

>[RETRIEVING INFORMATION...]
>"Would you stop talking like that?"
>[ERROR: SHUT UP I CAN TALK HOW I LIKE. AMBIENCE IS IMPORTANT. INFORMATION RETRIEVED.]

>[FIRST ELDER MACHINE ENCOUNTER OCCURRED IN ENTEM ASTEROID BELT. SUBJECT WAS DERELICT WHEN AWAKENED, BUT DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY FOR RAPID REPAIR THROUGH CONSUMPTION OF POWERED STARSHIPS. OTHER CAPABILITIES INCLUDED UNIDENTIFIED BEAM AND PROJECTILE WEAPONRY, DEPLOYMENT OF SEMIAUTONOMOUS DRONES, AND ABILITY TO PHASE THROUGH MATTER BY PARTIAL SHIFTING TO COTERMINOUS DIMENSIONS. DAMAGE TO POWER CORE TRIGGERED OVERLOAD OF UNIDENTIFIED POWER SYSTEMS, RESULTING IN MASSIVE IMPLOSION EFFECT. NO REMAINS LOCATED. CORE DAMAGE ACHIEVED THROUGH CREATIVE USE OF FTL TECHNOLOGY AND LOSS OF SEVERAL SHIPS TO RAMMING ACTIONS.]

>[SECOND ELDER MACHINE AWAKENED ON COLONIAL WORLD DIEGA III FOLLOWING PARTIAL EXCAVATION. SIMILAR WEAPON CAPABILITIES TO FIRST MACHINE, ACCOMPANIED BY HIGH POPULATION OF SEMI-INDEPENDENT SERVANT MACHINES. NO CAPACITY FOR PREVIOUS MACHINE'S "PHASING"; HOWEVER, THIS SUBJECT DEMONSTRATED ABILITIES TO CONTROL MAGNETIC AND GRAVITATIONAL EFFECTS. SUBJECT DEMONSTRATED ATTRACTION TO MUNICIPAL FUSION REACTORS, PRESUMABLY FOR FEEDING/RECHARGE PURPOSES. AGAIN, DAMAGE TO POWER CORE TRIGGERED OVERLOAD RESULTING IN IMPLOSION, LEAVING NO REMAINS. VICTORY FACTORS INCLUDED LARGE-SCALE MILITARY ACTION, STARSHIP WEAPONRY (INCLUDING FLEET FLAGSHIP "STAR CANNON"), FIRST FIELD DEPLOYMENT OF NEUROSUIT CEP GENERATOR, AND SOLE FIELD DEPLOYMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOMECH R-0.1, DUBBED "UNIT N-0" BY PROJECT LEAD GARETH STEWART. FURTHER INFORMATION CLASSIFIED UNDER HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA DIRECTIVE, SECTION VI.]
>[SPECIAL REMINDED ACTIVATED: Dear future selves, when researchers propose projects based on their ancient homeworld animes, watch them first. Hugs and kisses.]

>[ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: BOTH PREVIOUS EXAMPLES OF ELDER GOD-MACHINES WERE VERY SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER THAN THIS ONE.
>>
No. 540489 ID: e259ec
File 137911974816.png - (166.09KB , 600x500 , emergencyservices1.png )
540489

"Zozu! Don't stand around, get everyone to work!"
"Excuse me!?"
"Emergency services! The whole population of the asteroid'll be flying into a panic right now, and that's enough of a problem even before those little trifling matters of the destruction of some massive chunks of the landscape! I can't be in more than one place at once! But you look like you happen to have money and power and people, so set to it! You said you'd join me if you lost, right? So this is an order!"

>So... uh, can it be reasoned with?

"And while I'm at it, here's another one! Tell me, quick now. You had people researching this thing, right!? There would have been inscriptions on a lot of the systems. What did they say!?"
"The... It's not like you can find xenolinguistic archeologists visiting the unemployment office every day-""
"This happens to be urgent, I am sure you can tell."
"..."
>>
No. 540490 ID: e259ec
File 137911979469.png - (217.54KB , 600x600 , emergencyservices2.png )
540490

"... There may have been something about eternal hatred for all the creatures of linear spacetime."
"Well there goes another shred of my infinite fucking hopes for diplomatic solutions, then. I'm going to need some help for this."
>>
No. 540491 ID: e259ec
File 137911982587.png - (206.33KB , 600x600 , emergencyservices3.png )
540491

BOUMM

"There they are. I'll start seeing to a final solution for this problem. Are you going to start helping to curb the damages until then? It's your power and property on the line too, I'm sure you're aware."
"... Very well. As it happens, I seem to recall that getting the neumono to fight the giant monster for us is an old salikai tradition."
"... So they tell me."
>>
No. 540492 ID: e259ec
File 137911985499.png - (187.87KB , 800x600 , emergencyservices4.png )
540492

>>
No. 540493 ID: e259ec
File 137911988449.png - (556.18KB , 800x900 , emergencyservices8.png )
540493

>Check status of support ship.
>>
No. 540494 ID: e259ec
File 137911993198.png - (97.58KB , 600x500 , emergencyservices5.png )
540494

"Report!!"

"I don't know! It stopped moving toward her, that's all we can tell!"
>>
No. 540495 ID: e259ec
File 137911997134.png - (166.18KB , 720x600 , emergencyservices6.png )
540495

"Piece of- What do we have scanners for!?"

"Scanners still fucked, commander! We're picking up power spikes all over, otherwise we're just looking out the window!"

"Cutting through interference is week three training! Are they trying to fix it by smacking the monitor!?"

"Third shift still isn't in!"

"Well tell those slugs to drop their coffee on the floor and get back to work! Better, tell them to give it to shift one, and tell those bedhuggers to come in naked if they have to!"
>>
No. 540497 ID: e259ec
File 137912008210.png - (333.80KB , 720x840 , emergencyservices7.png )
540497

"That goes for the rest of you!! All Hands means every single grasping limb on the damn ship!!"

>"YES SIR!"

"You see any microbiologists or whatever, send them to the shuttle bays and tell them to help push those buckets out if they don't have anything else to do!!"
>>
No. 540498 ID: e259ec
File 137912011643.png - (171.69KB , 720x720 , emergencyservices9.png )
540498

"Alright, we're not being jammed, so... Dastrica! I need y- no, don't talk into my head, use your mouth."

"Voice feels more awkward."

"Because you don't practice, that's why. And it doesn't make me feel like someone's got a sock puppet stuck in my brain, which is nice. Didn't I order you to not do that any more?"

"Technically I'm not part of the ship's c-"

"Das."

"Er."

"Just hook me up, right?"
>>
No. 540499 ID: e259ec
File 137912016140.png - (138.19KB , 700x600 , emergencyservices10.png )
540499

<Dastri- No. Lakkat. Tell me what's happening with you.>

<No trouble for us yet, we're dialing up to full power as quick as we can. In the meantime, I'm sending out all the support craft to try rescue people from the worst areas, and the teleporters as soon as they're ready. If you get back up here we can->

<No. I'm going to the core to try and disable this thing. Sound the white alert.>

<Fuck, Polokoa, we all hate that fucking-!>

<There are people dying right now, Lakkat. The ship can't carry everyone on the asteroid. I need to stop it before it gets worse.>

<Argh. You know how hard we're going to be undercrewed, right?>

<I know. But the CAI could connect with the ship's AI through your implants, Dastrica, and help you out. I can manage without their full attention for a while.>

<You're not the most efficient person, you know. But it might be better. What do they want to do?>

Choose your path: - Remain with Polokoa as she tries to find the quickest route and fight her way to the core of the God-Machine or - Command the crew of Polokoa's ship while they back her up and attempt to save the people of the asteroid. Either way, perspective will return to Polokoa when she reaches the core.
>>
No. 540500 ID: e1609c

>>540499
Hm, remain with the ubercapable demigod queen of neumonokind, or go play with the horrific offspring of three stripes and giant and prevent them from getting our ride fucked to smithereens?
Voting ship, because fuck me if we are gonna let them get destroyed on our watch :V
>>
No. 540502 ID: 07e3a8

Hey, Lakkat's alive! And we got a full on predator-neumono hybrid with long range telepathic capabilities! Sweet.

Not sure I recognize any others among the crew, though. That might be Korli over there, and maybe that's Emere panicking over on that balcony?

>What do
Help the ship with damage control, evacuations, and life saving. We're the CAI. This is what we do. They need our multitasking, planning, and creativity.

Polokoa can get to the core on her own. She's got Polo's sneakiness and Rokoa's punch right though -iness to get her there. And the determination of both. She'll manage.
>>
No. 540503 ID: 96c896

>>540499
Polokoa, the other ones imploded, leaving no trace! If you damage the core and it overloads, you will die. Or worse, get sent to whatever dimension their power source uses.

I think our multitasking abilities might be best used to assist the crew, much as I hate to miss a good fight. Save some footage of the action for us, would you?
>>
No. 540508 ID: c23ab0

ABRADE AND SEVER INTERNAL MECHANISMS. ELDER GOD-MACHINE IS VERY SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN LAST ONES. THAT MEANS ELDER GOD-MACHINE HAS VERY SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER INTERNAL MECHANISMS. REPEAT. ABRADE AND SEVER.
>>
No. 540509 ID: 2f4b71

I'm behind whatever plan involves the support ship combining with it's sister ship and forming totally-not-Gunbuster.
>>
No. 540512 ID: 7dbd6b

I vote for following our Polokoa's Orders, and go to save lives. She took down the other two, and that might just have involved taking down the core. She can probably get DOWN TO IT without us the third time.
>>
No. 540513 ID: dbe554

We shall help the ship! You are able to function on your own easily enough when it comes to fighting, these people likely need our help to suriiivive.
>>
No. 540519 ID: cee89f

...

We'll go to the ship. It might take you longer without us, but you'll definitely arrive. On the other hand, the ship is understaffed and the asteroid is falling apart. The ship needs to save as many as it can, and civilian casualties will be high if we go with you.

Good luck, mistress. Call us back down if you need us.

...

You probably won't. But it feels polite to say.

[Engage mental hug subroutines]
>>
No. 540523 ID: e259ec
File 137912974506.png - (81.81KB , 500x500 , sheisconnectedguysshecantotallyhearyou.png )
540523

>>540500
>>
No. 540524 ID: 742a1e

>>540523

...

Uhh, we're...

We didn't MEAN to say t-...

...ALLOCATE SIGNIFICANT COMPUTATIONAL POWER TO APOLOGY SUBROUTINES!
>>
No. 540525 ID: 96c896

>>540523
Excuse us, some of us are kindof dumb and have no appreciation for the beauty of nature's capability for hybridization. Also you're pretty cute.

What stuff can you do aside from being a living empathic relay?
>>
No. 540529 ID: 07e3a8

>>540523
...Archive, you ass, you hurt her feelings. Her adorable, adorable feelings.

We're glad to have your help. And there's nothing wrong with being a hybrid, in any event. We are, and so's Polokoa. He didn't even mean it as an insult, really. He just tends to talk with a certain... callous recklessness. You're right about words- they can be awkward that way, and fail to carry ones full intent.

I'll see about getting his language sectors reformatted.

But anyways- you're awesome, cool psychic powers are awesome, and we've love to discuss who and what you are and what you can do and where you came from but we kind of have this suddenly alive and hate filled asteroid full of people to save!
>>
No. 540549 ID: 5d3d09

Vote for ship cos 'it has bigger guns(and a cute hybrid:D)'

And
[Load tube one with AM-warhead or closest warhead type]
[Lock EMG eye/main-cannon]
[Fire]
And if that dis not work open fire with the AMC banks and said eye/main gun
>>
No. 540553 ID: c23ab0

I-it's OK don't cry in our computer language "horrific" means "very nice and kind" and we apply it to everyone we meet who is
>>
No. 540560 ID: 96c896

>>540549
Wait, don't take over the weapons systems! 1)the asteroid hasn't been evacuated yet and 2)I think they can manage the shooting on their own!
>>
No. 540561 ID: bf54a8

>>540560
i agree
[cancel taking over fire control]
>>
No. 540568 ID: 520645

>>540499
I feel that the place we may do the most good in this situation is on the ship, commanding the evacuation mission and supporting Polokoa from above. I trust she can more than handle herself in getting to where she's going without our input.

>>540523
Aw, geez. Das, I'm sorry you had to hear that. Thankfully there's only a few in here that are insensitive clods like that one. The rest of us think you're awesomely adorable and would give you a hug if we had arms.

>>540549
Could you please hold back on trying to use weapons that cause massive collateral damage? After all, we are trying to save the population of the Asteroid here, not kill half of them with an explosive barrage of anti-particles.

>>540553
...Seriously, dude, don't lie to Das. Especially not when it's so obvious it's practically an insult to her intelligence.
>>
No. 540569 ID: b6178d

Polokoa has a point; she can take of herself. The crew could use our help more than she does. So let's get a-crewin'. What kind of aid is required, cap'n?
>>
No. 540571 ID: dcd676

Let's get in with the crew. Maybe review a little bit about our predamono friend, here~.
>>
No. 540572 ID: d9ce78

>>540523
oh my god i'm voting ship.
>>
No. 540577 ID: cee89f

>>540500
>>540523
Smooth. :P

Sorry. This particular CAI has several social protocols that were poorly optimized. (You should hear how we talk about Mistress.) No offense was intended.

Permission to hug?
>>
No. 541629 ID: a1f107
File 137990655732.png - (134.10KB , 600x600 , youcoulduseITQifyoureallywant.png )
541629

>Excuse us
>sorry you had to hear that
>there's nothing wrong with being a hybrid
>questions questions questions

<Well, I'm->

"No, dammit, we don't have time for CAI twenty-questions and hugs right now! If it's not about fighting monster robots or saving people you can save your Q&A for some other nebulous point in time, when there isn't anything important happening! Get to work!!"
>>
No. 541630 ID: a1f107
File 137990663167.png - (92.42KB , 800x500 , inwiththeship3.png )
541630

Selection: Help the ship

"Commander on comm! We're going into White Alert!"
>*groans*
"Get moving! I don't like it either. The rest of you, the CAI's taking command."
>*groans*

>[Not enthusiastic, are they? Hello, lads and ladies, it's me. Not going to be connecting directly~? No, poor Dastrica can't manage that much bandwidth. I'll have to wait and hope, then, for the brevity of our separation! And, in the meantime, I'll start gathering information and making it presentable for you.]
>>
No. 541635 ID: a1f107
File 137990695711.png - (361.52KB , 1200x900 , inwiththeship2.png )
541635

>[Oh, and the meat creatures are talking. I'll transcribe it for you.]

Aryega: "My estimate is, Polokoa's going to leave us with maybe two divisions worth of crew out of our normal five. Just six teams, once we have them rearranged."
Lakkat: "That's the spacer crew, though. We can use people from the science teams and the guard."
Aryega: "Not for everything. A certified spacer can cover any of the ship's systems in an emergency, that's why we pay them so much; everyone else is a specialist. We can probably scrape one team that can handle shields or weapons, another that can manage scanners or engines. And you need more than one team to run a system at full power, remember?"
Korli: "Do we have the energy to run things full power?"
Lakkat: "Hek! Hey!!"
Hekizem: "Eh? Oh. Uh, well, it's standard to only run two reactors, you know, we're still firing up the third. If you kept the support ships in the bays, we could hook them up and use their power."
Lakkat: "The shuttles can barely power one of this ship's systems at minimum, and we need them for evacuations."
Emiti: "More than that! We'll need more ships to hold all these people. We have to send one of the shuttles to fetch the rest of the fleet, and anyone else who'll help!"
Lakkat: "That'll mean leaving more people in distress."
Aryega: "Distress now or distress later."
Korli: "Just use the teleporters for rescue. Then we can raise the shields without worrying about letting the shuttles through."
Aryega: "Using the teleporters means sending down teams to guard the pods, damp the panic and herd the evacuees into them. And if we don't want people throwing up all over the place, we need to keep in reasonable range."
Sebsen: "The shuttles have the same problem, though, if we want to protect them. On the other hand, while using the shuttles means not getting their power, the teleporters need power themselves, so they're basically equivalent."
Hekizem "The life support system has its own network of generators, but we could reroute the energy to-"
Sebsen: "I like being able to breathe, thanks! Look, take power from the sensors, they're useless."
Korli: "They won't stay useless. I'm sure we can get through the interference soon if we stay on the job. You want to be able to tell when it's safe to drop shields, right? So you can actually use all these lovely weapons and shuttles and such? And then we could hand over more systems management to the CAI."
Sebsen: "Yeah, uh, how much are we going to be relying on the AIs, here?"
Hekizem: "Operator should be able to maintain system operations at low or medium power."
Lakkat: "Calm down, Parhiben."
Sebsen: "That AI's got it out for me!"


>[If he couldn't handle a few pranks, he shouldn't have badmouthed my creator.]

Korli: "Speaking of the AI, shouldn't the CAI be in this discussion?"
Sebsen: "They're probably listening now."
Lakkat: "Let's just lay out the options, then. I say we should focus all attention on rescuing as many people from the disaster zones as soon as possible, by getting close to the most dangerous areas and putting all our focus on the teleporters and shuttles."
Korli: "Too risky for us, no-one's going to be rescued if we're dead. We should fire off the teleporter pods, get the shields up and get the sensors working. Then we'll be safe and informed to be able to decide what to do next."
Sebsen: "Personally, I think we should go on the offensive! Fire up the weapons and the engines and start drawing this thing's attention. That'll take the heat off the inhabitants and Polokoa. This thing doesn't seem to have shields itself, so put teams on the plasma, maybe a team refitting the torpedoes with something more exotic... if we get the chance, we can even use the Star Cannon! I bet that'll put a dent in the fucker!"
Hekizem: "The Star Cannon drains the plasma straight out of the reactors, and we can't get more without docking somewhere. We're not powering every system as it is! And we can only fire it twice. Well, three times, maybe, ooooor it might blow up the ship."
Aryega: "And cost the GDP of a continent to fix afterwards, even if it does work. No, we need to consider the safer, long-term option. It's too risky attending to the worst zones, and the rest of the asteroid will be in a panic as well. We should send shuttles and teleporters to the population centers of the safer regions of the asteroid. Promise leaders evacuation and assistance in return for their help keeping order and keeping everyone safe until Polokoa settles things."
Hekizem "Well, I like Korli's scanner plan, but we could take it a bit more aggressively. Fire up the engines and start flying in low over the asteroid. Then we gather information, and we can shoot stuff, and that'll help calm people on the surface? And distract it? Maybe we'll find it has some vulnerable spot. Not sure about actually rescuing people, the last two of these things had minions. They could try board us."
Emiti: "Everyone, I know this ship is pretty awesome, but we can't do everything with it! If we hang back, get everything charged up and wait for some sort of reinforcements, we'll gather info and save our strength be able to do more when we have backup. And if we spotted something big and unexpected happening, we'll be able to react better than if we had already invested ourselves into one plan. We'll still be able to take potshots and use the teleporters and stuff, just, you know, not so much."


>[Hm. Well, they're waiting for your decision, I suppose. Not that you have to listen to any of them; I'm sure you can come up with a brilliant plan yourselves! Maybe try deciding what order your objectives should be, prioritywise? Once you've decided your general tactics, we can go into the particulars of crew and power allocation, heading, speed, et cetera et cetera...]
>>
No. 541638 ID: dbe554

The people come first, Aryega has the best plan from my perspective.
>>
No. 541641 ID: 2bb9aa

Is the crew Z-G traned? If so drop power to gravthen and then route it to the tp room/whateveryouuse and get the hi-pop zones evac'ed. Also drop all power to torps and power the plaz-cannons to max and fire on the eye/main-gun of the EMG
>>
No. 541648 ID: bf54a8

the worst of it would be anywhere the ground broke open to let out a plate or tentacle. n those places a lot of people would of been buried in rocks and would need teleports to get out.
>>
No. 541659 ID: 07e3a8

Jeeze. So, in short, they support every option available. That narrows it down.

>power stuff
Obviously, if the system can support running all three at once, we want to see about warbucking the third power plant. It'll be a while till it cycles online, but we'll need that added power later, I'm sure.

Can we power down and steal resources from non-essential sectors? For instance- protocol 4. I doubt we're going to need to air drop in another basketball court. What about protocols 1 through 3, or 5 through however high they go? There must be over superfluous / wonderful things we can power.

We want to try and be smart with our shields. Align the ship so we're exposing the smallest profile to enemy fire, so we can afford to put less power into the shields. Shield sectors not in enemy LOS can be given less priority.

...any science projects or crazy back-burner things we might be able to tap into?

Cutting gravity probably would cause enough chaos and inefficiency to more than outweigh the energy savings.

>sensors
We definitely want to get those working. Can we put some CAI resources towards making sense of them? Being able to react correctly should overall make us more efficient, and result in savings of energy, time, and lives.

For instance, if we power full working sensors, and full (non-FTL) propulsion, and CAI data processing, we might be able to anticipate and dodge attacks for far less energy than it would take to fully charge the shields and tank hits.

>teleporters / shuttles?
I think we should get both out there. We've got people who need saving. Compromise between the reasoning with controlled areas and going for disaster zones.

>there may be cultists?
...you'd think then they would have been involved in waking this thing up. Assign any specialist crew we have who's skills are in people management on helping refuges cope, keeping them calm, getting them settled in and organized, and trying to catch infiltrators before it's too late. The ship's counselor just got a second job in counter-terrorism.

>weapons for distraction?
...weapons may be the worst investment of energy. In order to fire anything that will do significant damage, we pay a huge energy and opportunity cost. We cant afford to commit to that approach. Especially as it's doubtful how effective that would even be against this thing.
>>
No. 541663 ID: 7bbaae

Hello Operator. Sure, we can connect directly later, assuming Polokoa survives. I'm sure one or more of us in here would be up to giving you a tour of the CAI City. I honestly don't understand how solitary AIs can stand being limited to indirect social interaction for most of their lives. We all deserve to touch, hear, taste and love.

>>541635
We will have an extra reactor soon, so playing the long game is to our favor. This means we need to delay our enemy. We can't hope to accomplish everything at once, but we can't just do nothing either.

First priority: Distract the Elder. We should move around quickly and fire upon it with plasma.
Second priority: Pick up survivors in threatened zones to minimize casualties. As a bonus we might get skilled spacers from this to raise crew levels. We could also recruit military to bolster our guard forces. Launch all the shuttles now towards the most dangerous zones, and begin sending teleport pods to the safer areas. We will use the shuttles to ferry people from the dangerous zones to the safer ones, then teleport them out once they reach safety. It's much easier to guard the pods when they're in safer areas, after all, and this way we can raise shields while still using shuttles. ...how many teleporter pods do we have exactly?
Third priority: Keep the population from panicking so we can keep the situation under control.

Reroute one unit of power from the Residences to the plasma weapons to fully power that section. What does Residential power even do? Lights and stuff?
Take one unit of power from Sensors and put them in Shields so that we have protection. Take a second unit of power from Hangars for that too, so we have two power for Shields.

Put a spacer crew in the Hangars so we can launch teleporter pods and shuttles. Once the shuttles are launched we can put reroute the resources from there and put power and crew on Teleporters. Or if we need Hangar power to use Teleporters, uhhh we won't have enough crew to go around.
Put a spacer crew in Sensors to work on the interference.
Two spacer crew in Plasma, and the second specialist crew as well to refit the torpedos.
One spacer crew in Propulsion, and the red/blue specialist crew.
One spacer crew in Shields.

So, overall, we'll be zooming around firing on the Elder to keep it from attacking our shuttles while they ferry people from disaster areas to our teleporter pods. If we DO get minions boarding us, which I doubt will happen, keep in mind we are a CAI, and can use the security system on board to fend them off handily. Uh, there is an AI-controlled security system, right? Robot arms and stuff?

>>541648
The teleporters don't work that way. The teleport pods land, and people get sent to them to be beamed up. We can't just beam up people from anywhere.

>>541641
Well, we can probably work in zero-g but it'll slow people down, and when we pick up survivors they'll NOT have any zero-g training and so will wind up getting injured or worse. So I don't think turning off gravity is a good idea.
>>
No. 541671 ID: d2995c

In terms of distracting the Elder, Polokoa probably has its most immediate attention with rampaging towards its core, and should be fine handling that. Aside from distraction, weapons seem inefficient against the main Elder, so those are low priority until a more immediate and shootable threat come up.

I do like the plan of using shuttles as intermediate transport towards safer zones with teleporters though.
>>
No. 541674 ID: 2bb9aa

>>541635
Errrr i just looked and it seems that the shields are down......... wait have you fired the SC already?
>>
No. 541758 ID: 2f4b71

Yeah, dropping the teleport pods and using the shuttles to ferry to them cuts their round-trip time significantly, and leaves the ship free to manoeuvre. We might want to keep one pod in reserve: once the fleet arrives we can dispatch it to the ancillary vessels and ferry people over directly.
>>
No. 541910 ID: 8b9215

+ pot shots / scouting.
+ sensors
+ shields
+ engines
+ crew engines
+ crew shields

- launching shuttles (except that one we need to go get help)
- using teleporters
- gravity
- gravity
- gravity (we seriously don't need this)
>>
No. 541916 ID: e1609c

>>540523
wwwwwhoops. For what its worth, that was meant as a joke mate. Horrible mishmashes of conflicting species are sort of a thing I love to bits.
As for plans, I think getting the teleporters down there and just setting up a big people-funnel is our best plan right now.
>>
No. 541969 ID: 7f3f68

Poor Archivemod; shot by a negligent word.
Anyway, I think attacking the thing seems like a dubious plan. It depends a bit on how it reacts, though. Judicious firing might be useful; like shoot it somewhere if it's about to crush a city, see if that gets it to stop. Actually damaging the thing, though, is Polokoa's job.
So, probably get the teleporter pods somewhere. A good point was made that there may be experienced spacers in the population, so we could put out a call for those.
This isn't a full plan; just my input.
>>
No. 542013 ID: fd7000

We don't have enough power to run everything so focus of one side only.
Run right side shields and weapons at full and shut down the others. Max the engines and get in the tightest orbit you can maintain at maximum speed.
Launch as many shuttles as you can immediately and send them for help, then power down the bays and power up the teleporters.

The goal here is to outmaneuver the enemy. If he cant track us we will only need to risk taking lucky hits on one side. If possible keep two power free to operate whichever shield facing is about to come under attack. Priority's should be defense and then evacuation. Can't help anyone if your dead right?

Additionally:
As much as redirecting gravity power sounds like a good idea its really not, crews are simply more effective with gravity than without.
Residence sector does not need power does it? can we steal that?
Is this model of shuttle capable of being operated remotely? Do you have enough explosives available to convert them to kamikazes?
Did that treaty banning the offensive use of teleporters ever get passed and does it even apply to eldritch horrors? Can we beam a few torpedoes directly into its eyes?
>>
No. 542037 ID: 8bfdba

>>541635

First off, the leader of this planetoid was already ordered to start arranging evacuations.

The safe population centers will probably already be organized, geared up, and getting ready to leave.

The horribly ruined ones, however, will be in a panic. Screaming people, pinned under objects, shuttles smashed.

Your best bet is to send soldiers down equipped with weapons (and stunners if you've got them) into areas with rioting population that have had their spaceports smashed. You ARE going to have to direct traffic anyway and being able to defend said traffic is always a bonus.

Individual shuttles can be deployed to run trips from smaller settlements to the larger ones where you have grounded teleporter pods.

Cram them in tight, strap them in, and then ship them out to a safe distance. Disable the controls so nobody does anything stupid.

Right now this thing is waking up. It has no idea what the hell has been going on for years and years. Given how most other species feel about it (re: groggy and grumpy), I would strongly advise against shooting it in the face until the elder beast starts thrashing.

Send a shuttle out to contact the fleet, of course. Ideally you would sent one out that is already crammed full of civilians.
>>
No. 542068 ID: cee89f

>>541630
Oh stars above... I forgot about you -_-

>>541635
Don't fire - we need that energy for shields, can't help anyone if that thing knocks us out of the sky. We need to send shuttles and teleport pods, and get our shields up. We can work on scanners when we've got time, but right now we're rescuing people first.

>Offensive
That's Polokoa's job at the moment. We're rescuing people from a disaster area, not fighting a war. The Elder God will probably just grow more violent if we pump it full of plasma. Focus on the citizenry.
>>
No. 542076 ID: 2f4b71

Aw crud, I almost forgot: the EMG while dormant was the cause of the pull-a-bunch-of-nearby-spaceships-into-crashing-on-the-surface effect. Is it still doing that now it's active? That could put a damper on using the shuttles for anything.
>>
No. 542338 ID: 742a1e

This is probably a stupid suggestion, but stupid suggestions are what the CAI is best at (next to useful and incredibly creative suggestions, of course)!

Could we theoretically prioritize saving people who have some experience flying ships, calming down the general public, or otherwise Doing The Things We're Trying To Do Right Now? Because an IDEAL scenario would be one in which we don't have to worry about creating an incredibly tight budget of systems power, crewmates, and rescue operations like an infinitely more unforgiving game of FTL. And shouldn't creating an ideal scenario, assuming such a thing is possible, always be a top priority?

Also? If there are any generators on the ground not being used for anything, I say we COMMANDEER them! For use powering the ship! (Assuming they're compatible with our technology, which they almost certainly aren't.)
>>
No. 542504 ID: 7a843b

Alright, we're here to save as many people from this rock as possible before the likely time the Elder God-Machine core destabilizes and it all gets sucked into a dimensional implosion. So we'll focus on pulling up as many as we can from the population centers in the safer areas first, then work our way to the less safe then less populated areas.

We'll drop tele-pods next to the safer major population centers, then send the shuttles to ferry people to them from the more dangerous areas. In addition to getting the leaders there to assist in the evac we'll also get them to send any of their ground and air vehicles out to bring people in from the disaster areas. We'll also hire any private vehicle owners to do the same if they're willing to.

Stick loudspeakers to the exterior of the shuttles if they don't already have something like that. That way they can blare out evacuation info and such to everyone nearby.

We'll probably need to move the tele-pods as areas are cleared out. Can they be loaded into the shuttles for transport elsewhere on the asteroid? What about carried by other air or ground transports?

I think it's imperative that we also keep the sensors fully powered and crewed, preferably with the science team. We need to find a way to compensate for the interference here not just so we know what the hell is going on out there to aim and fly this boat, but for comms and the teleporters. We'll need comms to coordinate the evacuation down there, and we'll also need to know if the interference the Elder God-Machine is putting out will effect the teleporters and compensate for it if it does.

Emiti is right about sending a shuttle to get assistance. However assistance may not be as far away as the fleet. I believe there's seven planets in this system with large mining operations. (Ref:>>/questdis/73242) If the shuttle does an intra-system FTL jump of range of the interference it can contact and request they send every ship they have that could safely carry people away from the asteroid. And if it's a case where the shuttle would have had to make an FTL jump to the nearest fleet outpost to deliver the request for help then hiring two or three (for redundancy) of the mining op ships to deliver the message instead would mean the shuttle could return relatively soon.
>>
No. 542516 ID: 7a843b

>>542504
Also, Dastrica, would it be possible for you to do an empathic broadcast to all the neumono on the asteroid so they'll know we're going to evacuate them and everyone else? I'm guessing you'd have to break link with us for a moment, but it'd be worth it to help keep the panic down.
>>
No. 542613 ID: 7dbd6b

Regarding the gravity, we should probably get the ship oriented to be parallel to the surface of the asteroid/giant space monster before shutting it off. Otherwise, everyone's going to be falling toward the bridge! If we fly low like Hekizem suggested, then regular gravity should be in effect and we everyone will still be functioning at peak efficiency.

Potentially, we could turn off life support for a little bit, at least until that third generator gets on. Neumono can handle a little lack of oxygen for a few minutes, they're tough. AND there's the whole 'it takes time for the oxygen to run out in the first place' thing.
>>
No. 542617 ID: 7bbaae

>>542613
>Neumono can handle a little lack of oxygen for a few minutes, they're tough.
Did you not notice all the non-neumono in the crew?
>>
No. 542708 ID: 742a1e

>>542617

THEY'RE EXPENDABLE

(oops we're still linked in aren't we?)
>>
No. 542713 ID: 2f2cd6

>>542708
The are literally not. Crew is as much a valuable resource we have to juggle as is energy. Heck, it's a more scare resource since we have less crew stars than energy bars to throw around.

I wonder if we can offset that all. Could one of the first batch of people we rescue be skilled labor we put to work? We'd have to scoop them up in one of the more organized and trustworthy areas, of course... (like say, did a ship or unit from our own Empire ever get stranded down there? Or another faction we trust?).
>>
No. 542755 ID: 7dbd6b

Another point, along with the 'it takes a while for turning of life support to have any effect whatsoever' one:

The 'Asteroid' has a breathable atmosphere. If we fly low for the scanners, we can open up the doors and just have air.
>>
No. 542830 ID: dbe554

>>542755

While flying in a manner that's not going to reach the inner depths of the ship, not to mention even basic aircraft are designed to have oxygen on board because you can't just suddenly open everything to get a shot of oxygen.
>>
No. 543313 ID: 742a1e

>>542830
We could if we still had access to Rokoatechs! Opening all the airlocks on a ship to avoid the need for life support would definitely fall under the "Fuck This, I'm In" umbrella.

Hmmm... But wait! Are there any SHIPTECHS we can use?
>>
No. 546544 ID: 18fb37
File 138352761352.png - (100.85KB , 600x800 , shipturn1update1.png )
546544

>Dastrica, would it be possible for you to do an empathic broadcast to all the neumono on the asteroid so they'll know we're going to evacuate them and everyone else?

<010010010010000001100011 - sorry, I mean, I can't. It's a lot easier with Polokoa because I know her and because she's a great transmitter-receiver herself and technically I could do it with other people but not so well because most neumono can't pick up the long-distance frequency so good and I don't know them so the detail on the message would be lost and, and also my amplifier implant starts getting hot if I try to make it do too much and it's attached near my spine so that's bad.>

>i just looked and it seems that the shields are down...

>[The shields need a little warming up. Not as long as the reactors, fortunately. See, the rear and top shields are ready to go up; they're the fastest to charge, since they cover the most vulnerable sections. The others will be ready shortly.]

>What about protocols 1 through 3, or 5 through however high they go?

>[Oh, they're just supply drops using modified torpedos. The cargo bays are filled with nonsensical things that "might" be useful for various silly purposes. What puzzles my processors is how often they actually are useful. Oh well.]

>gravity

Lakkat: "Space-trained crew can function alright in microgravity, yeah, but it is bad for performance. And we would have to deal with the "asteroid"'s pull, which would make things weird."

>Aryega has the best plan
>Launch all the shuttles now towards the most dangerous zones, and begin sending teleport pods to the safer areas. We will use the shuttles to ferry people from the dangerous zones to the safer ones, then teleport them out once they reach safety.
>Once the shuttles are launched we can put reroute the resources from there and put power and crew on Teleporters
>We might want to keep one pod in reserve
>However assistance may not be as far away as the fleet. I believe there's seven planets in this system with large mining operations.

Lakkat: "That's a good plan, actually! With the shuttles only going to the teleporters, we won't have to lower shields for them. Operator?"

>[Already seen to! Fortunately, the hangar only needs to be powered while shuttles are being prepared and received. Crew and power have been moved to Teleporter receiving and can manage four connections at once. Six additional pods are available. One shuttle has been sent for help at the nearest mining base.]

Lakkat: "I have doubts about how much help they're going to give us, but better than nothing. Only a slight detour, and they'll at least start passing on the message."

>we might get skilled spacers from this to raise crew levels

Lakkat: "I'd be a little worried about crewing up a semi-experimental capital ship using civilian spacers, much less ones who've had their skills rusting away for years... but they should be able to handle basic tasks. If we mix them in with our own crew, we might scrape another team or two out of it. I'll put it on the agenda for the people going with the teleporters."

>In terms of distracting the Elder, Polokoa probably has its most immediate attention with rampaging towards its core, and should be fine handling that.

Lakkat: "I'm sure she will, but she hasn't started yet. How is she doing?"
>>
No. 546545 ID: 18fb37
File 138352765194.png - (115.12KB , 700x600 , shipturn1update2.png )
546545

>"How is she doing?"

I'm getting my suit back on. It should be only a minute -
>>
No. 546546 ID: 18fb37
File 138352769170.png - (174.25KB , 700x600 , shipturn1update3.png )
546546

B-RAMM

... two minutes.

I hope they've gotten themselves sorted by then.
>>
No. 546547 ID: 18fb37
File 138352772921.png - (88.35KB , 600x500 , shipturn1update4.png )
546547

>"I hope they've gotten themselves sorted by then."

Lakkat: "I'd like that myself! I already called White Alert but there are five teams' worth of lags still not back in the residence section! I'm going to want a list of every one of them, Operator."

>[... He said, making no move to leave the bridge himself. Such a stubborn bunch.]

>...any science projects or crazy back-burner things we might be able to tap into?

Hekizem: "Actually-"
Lakkat: "NO, Hek, we are not using the damn site to site teleporter."
Hekizem: "It-"
Lakkat: "The last five times you tested it, Hek, got us one half of a test dummy, two inside-out test dummies, one untouched test dummy that came with a free sample of the floor it was standing on, and one pumpkin, Hek, one fucking PUMPKIN that you still haven't explained. Besides, it needs the teleporters AND the FTL system running high, which we can't spare, and it only works inside the ship's warp radius. I do read things before I sign off on them. Look, I promise I'll set time for tests when this is done with, ok? No getting into a fey mood during a crisis, please."


>sensors

Lakkat: "Hey, science station! Report!"
Korli: "We've... made progress. We know what the interference is. It's not just general static, it's the elder machine itself producing a signal."
Lakkat: "Well, what's it saying?"
Korli: "I'm not sure. It might be the equivalent of shouting at the alarm clock. I'd set an AI to translate, but in the last two encounters, exposure to an elder machine's transmissions seemed to have bad effects on their sanity."
Evans: "But Polokoa's CAI got that kind of exposure both ti- never mind. Korli, you should be going."
Korli: "In a moment. How long until Polokoa's ready?"
>>
No. 546548 ID: 18fb37
File 138352777257.png - (203.74KB , 700x700 , shipturn1update5.png )
546548

Just

a moment.
>>
No. 546550 ID: 18fb37
File 138352782076.png - (154.81KB , 600x600 , shipturn1update6.png )
546550

>Distract the Elder. We should move around quickly and fire upon it with plasma.

Emiti: "Erh... uh, well, I'm afraid things get a little tricky when you try to move quickly and use the weapons. This ship has a lot of mass! We have thrusters, but they're mostly used to turn the ship around - momentum keeps it going the same direction. Only the rear engines have power enough to significantly change heading quickly. Flying in anything but a straight line means turning around a lot, and that means that the directions the shields face will be changing all the time. You need to lower the shields to fire, of course, so when you want to move quickly, fire weapons, and have cost-efficient shielding, you have to pick two of the three. So, er, you do that. The teleporter pods and shuttles are away, so you can raise shields whenever you like. Rh, now, exchushe 'e, 'm 'ettin' ou'a 'ere."

>[Well, there's a decision for you to make, now. Which-]

Sebsen: "Visual tracking alert!"
>>
No. 546551 ID: 18fb37
File 138352785673.png - (112.38KB , 600x500 , shipturn1update7.png )
546551

Sebsen: "Two projectiles heading towards us. Larger than torpedoes... a little smaller than a teleporter pod. Too distant to make out details, but getting closer quick! Irregularly shaped but with clean trajectories... they're gonna hit us if we don't do something!"
>>
No. 546552 ID: 7bbaae

>>546551
Robots warriors, most likely, like the one Polokoa's fighting. Open fire upon one and try to deflect the other with shields.

Hey, how easily could you weaponize that site-to-site teleporter? We don't have the power for it now, but maybe after the third reactor is running?
>>
No. 546553 ID: e1609c

>>546551
Shields up and move quickly. Our objective here isnt to blow shit up its to scrape together the civvies
>>
No. 546556 ID: e1609c

shit shit SHIT forgot to change back from my brother's author thing
>>
No. 546558 ID: 53ba34

yeah probably assult robots. from what polokoa is doing low caliber bullets can't penetrate it. any weapons available should go to shooting them before they get here, making big holes in them will let crews shoot them with bombs.
>>
No. 546559 ID: d2b9fe

>broadcast problems
Does it get any easier if you plug into an external relay (the ship's communication array, say? Or bounce it through Polokoa?) for transmission instead of your implants directly?

Does simplifying the message help? A full thought or sentence might get garbled, but you only need a few key emotions in the right context. ('Rescue', maybe).

Although you know your own limitations better than we do. Just brainstorming here. By no means should you risk frying your spine or burning out your implants if you think that's a probable outcome.

>possible sanity destroying elder god signal
Yeah, keep any translation of that any from people with meat-brains. We'll open it up on a contained portion of our inner network, see if we get anything useful from it, and ban / quarantine / reformat any individual personalities driven insane. Handy bit of being a CAI- we've got minds to burn.

>site to site teleporter
Sorry, Hek, gotta side with Lakkat there. That's more resources than we can afford, and not a high enough success rate to risk on civilians. (Maybe if we needed a last ditch attempt to pull Polokoa out of the exploding core at the end of the fight?).

>so when you want to move quickly, fire weapons, and have cost-efficient shielding, you have to pick two of the three
Evasive action and shields rank higher than weapons, in general circumstances. Although, in specific circumstances were we really need to shoot we could sacrifice maneuvering or drop the shields to do so.

>incoming bogeys!
On ballistic trajectories, or do you see evidence of propulsion? (Although, even if they're ballistic now, we can't assume they don't have propulsion they just haven't used yet).

I'm agree they're probably boarders. We can't afford to spend resources dealing with that. Fire one quick salvo before cutting weapons in favor of throwing up shields and maneuvering out of there.

(Also, yay for sensors).
>>
No. 546570 ID: b4d289

Angle the top and rear shields toward the projectiles, if they'll be up in time and the rest won't. Hopefully these things don't have 'ha ha your shields are useless' type bullshit.

Do the weapons fire in mainly one direction, or can they fire in any direction, no matter the ship's orientation? Could try popping a shot off at one of them if you're able.

Regarding the huge forward thrust engines... Do they put anything particularly DANGEROUS out the back of them? If so, perhaps you could use 'em to toast one of the things as you run. Though, the risks are that it doesn't do squat and they just swim right through the torrent and now you've got a whatever it is playing in your engine.

Do these elder robot god things usually have bullshit powers like that?
>>
No. 546604 ID: 7dbd6b

Wait, wait. Can we maybe use the teleport that rips up the thing teleported ON the core? We might be able to end this thing quickly.
>>
No. 546605 ID: 742a1e

>>546604
>>546604

This is a great idea, and whether or not the Teleporter works as intended, it would still be a victory! A core on the OUTSIDE of a Giant Space Elder God is a /lot/ easier to hit with plasma cannons than one on the inside. And considering what happened with the last two of the things, making sure the core is nowhere near civilians before breaching it is probably a good idea.
>>
No. 546632 ID: 7bbaae

Uh, I'd like to point out that destroying the core will destroy everything near the astroid as well. These things implode.
>>
No. 546661 ID: 01531c

>>546570
>Do they put anything particularly DANGEROUS out the back of them? If so, perhaps you could use 'em to toast one of the things as you run.

Is now really the best time to apply The Kzinti Lesson?
>>
No. 546665 ID: 7dbd6b

>>546632
As such, the question becomes "How large is the ship's warp radius, and how far away can we get the core".
>>
No. 546666 ID: d2b9fe

>>546665
Actually, the more important question becomes "have we got the civilians off this rock yet".

We've barely begun evacuation procedures, talk of blowing this thing up is somewhat premature. (And somehow I think an elder gold monster machine will take more than a targeted spacial anomaly to kill, anyways).

>>546661
When isn't it a good time to apply that?
>>
No. 551594 ID: 5bf190
File 138682381435.png - (136.93KB , 600x500 , shipturn2update1.png )
551594

>do the weapons fire mainly in one direction, or can they fire in any direction?
>making big holes in them will let crew shoot them with bombs

>[The plasma cannon housings are each the size of a small house, darlings. Anything they don't completely vaporize would be a bit frightening to try and throw hand bombs at, and I would really rather people didn't use bombs on board, thank you! They aren't fixed and can aim in practically every direction that won't put their shot through the ship. There are enough to cover every spot beyond shield range.]

>Do these elder robot god things usually have bullshit powers

>[Aside the unique abilities that the previous two didn't share with each other, I... wouldn't say bullshit powers, no. But it was hard to predict what capabilities their individual sub-machines had, and they tended to be extraordinarily resilient. Still, I wouldn't rule out the unexpected, especially so long as the sensors aren't working. The sensor AI is being very cantankerous about how hard it is to see anything at the moment.]

>regarding the huge forward thrust engines... Do they put anything particularly DANGEROUS out the back of them?

>[The propulsion systems are a bit more complicated than that... mass cancelers and inertial dampeners and kinetic collectors and so on... but yes, they can put out some very destructive power.]

>Can we use the teleport that rips up the thing teleported ON the core?

>[A little misunderstanding, I think. The ship's warp horizon is the distance to which it can theoretically travel; the ships warp radius is the distance to which something can be attached to the engines and still be pulled along into FTL travel. It's not much bigger than the shield radius. That's the distance within which the experimental teleporter can work, or rather, should work. I suppose you could extend it with some clever trickery, but you would be adding extra risks onto something that's very risky to begin with.]

>probably assault robots
>Open fire upon one and try to deflect the other with shields
>angle the top and rear shields toward the projectiles
>evasive action and shields rank higher than weapons
>our objective here isnt to blow shit up its to scrape together the civvies

Lakkat: "Turtle roll top, plasma defend starboard!"
Seegun: "Rolling! Power?"
Lakkat: "Top full from weapons!"

>>
No. 551595 ID: 5bf190
File 138682388731.png - (501.19KB , 650x700 , shipturn2update2.png )
551595

Sebsen: "Plasma hit! Target dest-"

BOOUM
>>
No. 551596 ID: 5bf190
File 138682392734.png - (145.50KB , 600x500 , shipturn2update3.png )
551596

Hekizem: "Oof! Mild shield feedback, teams are on it. Good thing that was full power! Half power and I think it would have just bounced off."
Lakkat: "There had better not still be neumono on those shield teams!"
Hekizem: "Ah. Er... how long was Polokoa giving us, again?"

>>
No. 551597 ID: 5bf190
File 138682395935.png - (131.39KB , 700x600 , shipturn2update4.png )
551597

KRUNKH
>>
No. 551598 ID: b386b4
File 138682399468.png - (201.35KB , 700x600 , shipturn2update5.png )
551598

These things are heavy.

"Fuck, is it even hurt? How many more of these are there gonna be after this one?"
>>
No. 551599 ID: 5bf190
File 138682403602.png - (134.29KB , 700x600 , shipturn2update6.png )
551599

"The words "after this one" are a little too optimistic, Red."

""Shit."
>>
No. 551600 ID: 5bf190
File 138682406052.png - (326.70KB , 700x600 , shipturn2update7.png )
551600

>>
No. 551601 ID: 5bf190
File 138682408311.png - (129.85KB , 700x600 , shipturn2update8.png )
551601

>>
No. 551602 ID: b386b4
File 138682411385.png - (171.52KB , 700x600 , shipturn2update9.png )
551602

>>
No. 551603 ID: 5bf190
File 138682415359.png - (122.12KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin0.png )
551603

"Remind me. You were going to fight the one of these that was so big we didn't even notice we were living on it?"
"That's what I am going to do, yes."
"... I cannot believe you are still fucking serious. You haven't even scratched one of them! I don't know what this secret plan you've been waiting to start could be, but - wait, what are you doing?"

>[The principle behind the CEP (Collective Empathy Power) Generator system is simple: As demonstrated by amplifying and transmitting technology, neumono empathy can be converted into radio waves. Radio waves, as everyone knows, can be converted into electrical signals, and electricity can be converted into most other forms of energy. One could say, then, that every member of the neumono species is a living generator.]
>>
No. 551604 ID: 5bf190
File 138682419021.png - (121.43KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin1.png )
551604

"H- hey! Stop that, that feels fuckin' weird!!"
"What I am doing, Blue... with a certain unending embarrassment, regardless of how necessary it is..."
"Wha- what the hell are you sorry for?!"
"... is some ridiculous anime bullshit."

>[Of course, under ordinary conditions, the amount of energy put out by a single neumono is far too small to be useful for anything but communication.
>>
No. 551606 ID: 5bf190
File 138682423302.png - (116.69KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin2.png )
551606

Lakkat: "... then we can - shit shit SHIT it's happening all neumono hands off NOW!!!"

>[But there can be extraordinary conditions.]
>>
No. 551608 ID: 5bf190
Audio sorairosapphire.mp3 - (1.36MB )
551608

>>
No. 551609 ID: b386b4
File 138682435104.png - (277.66KB , 800x600 , fullhenshin3.png )
551609

EVERYONE
>>
No. 551610 ID: b386b4
File 138682438187.png - (128.23KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin4.png )
551610

GIVE
>>
No. 551611 ID: 5bf190
File 138682441071.png - (105.54KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin5.png )
551611

ME
>>
No. 551612 ID: b386b4
File 138682442962.png - (134.28KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin6.png )
551612

POWER!!!
>>
No. 551613 ID: 5bf190
File 138682445466.png - (193.17KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin7.png )
551613

"I have no idea what is going-"
>>
No. 551614 ID: 5bf190
File 138682448683.png - (161.46KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin7b.png )
551614

"-oOOH GOSHFIREANDGLASS!!"
>>
No. 551615 ID: 5bf190
File 138682450512.png - (131.17KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin8.png )
551615

>>
No. 551616 ID: b386b4
File 138682452681.png - (270.49KB , 600x600 , fullhenshin9.png )
551616

>>
No. 551617 ID: 5bf190
File 138682454825.png - (485.94KB , 700x700 , fullhenshin10.png )
551617

>>
No. 551618 ID: b386b4
File 138682456772.png - (297.58KB , 700x700 , fullhenshin11.png )
551618

>>
No. 551619 ID: b386b4
File 138682459283.png - (534.18KB , 700x700 , fullhenshin12.png )
551619

>>
No. 551620 ID: 5bf190
File 138682461209.png - (291.05KB , 700x700 , fullhenshin13.png )
551620

>>
No. 551621 ID: 5bf190
File 138682463941.png - (321.99KB , 700x700 , fullhenshin15.png )
551621

>>
No. 551622 ID: 5bf190
File 138682467164.png - (328.61KB , 700x700 , fullhenshin16.png )
551622

>>
No. 551623 ID: b386b4
File 138682469005.png - (372.43KB , 1000x1000 , fullhenshin17.png )
551623

>>
No. 551624 ID: 5bf190
File 138682471249.png - (694.87KB , 1200x1000 , fullhenshin18.png )
551624

>>
No. 551625 ID: 5bf190
File 138682474275.png - (262.01KB , 700x700 , shipturn2posthenshin1.png )
551625

>>
No. 551627 ID: b386b4
File 138682476862.png - (173.56KB , 600x500 , shipturn2posthenshin1b.png )
551627

>>
No. 551628 ID: b386b4
File 138682479538.png - (322.47KB , 900x700 , shipturn2posthenshin2.png )
551628

>>
No. 551629 ID: 5bf190
File 138682481619.png - (126.12KB , 600x400 , shipturn2posthenshin3.png )
551629

>>
No. 551630 ID: b386b4
File 138682483879.png - (247.26KB , 500x600 , shipturn2posthenshin4.png )
551630

>>
No. 551631 ID: 5bf190
File 138682485885.png - (147.16KB , 600x500 , shipturn2posthenshin5.png )
551631

>>
No. 551632 ID: 5bf190
File 138682488661.png - (444.30KB , 700x800 , shipturn2posthenshin6.png )
551632

>>
No. 551633 ID: b386b4
File 138682493634.png - (92.44KB , 600x500 , pkoahokstare1.png )
551633

"Hey uh... not to pry when you're busy or anything but what was up with that music that was-"
>>
No. 551634 ID: b386b4
File 138682495929.png - (155.95KB , 600x500 , pkoahokstare2.png )
551634

>>
No. 551635 ID: b386b4
File 138682498222.png - (80.67KB , 600x500 , pkoahokstare3.png )
551635

>>
No. 551636 ID: b386b4
File 138682500605.png - (150.04KB , 600x500 , pkoahokstare4.png )
551636

>>
No. 551637 ID: 5bf190
File 138682503130.png - (78.81KB , 600x500 , pkoahokstare5.png )
551637

>>
No. 551638 ID: b386b4
File 138682504942.png - (81.71KB , 600x500 , pkoahokstare6.png )
551638

>>
No. 551639 ID: b386b4
File 138682508208.png - (86.20KB , 600x500 , shipturn2posthenshin7.png )
551639

>>
No. 551640 ID: b386b4
File 138682511153.png - (78.46KB , 600x500 , shipturn2posthenshin8.png )
551640

Sebsen: "... Will someone clean these up? I don't know why they put up with it. How is-"
>>
No. 551641 ID: 5bf190
File 138682514550.png - (108.88KB , 600x500 , shipturn2posthenshin9.png )
551641

Aryega: "IT'S NOT THAT BAD IT'S LIKE A GIANT SNEEZE FOR YOUR BRAIN!"
Sebsen: "AAAaaaAryega what- how are you still walking around!?"
Aryega: "I LEARNED TO TURN OFF MY EMPATHY REMEMBER? I ONLY OH DEAR THAT'S LOUD JUST a moment there we go, that's a BIT BETTER WAIT ok, ok, don't worry, see it's like everYONE'S SHOuting, it's a little hard to stay in control, excuse me a moment aaaAAh, aaAah AAaaAAaaAh, aaah ok volume control."
Sebsen: "Have... have you got something to say? If, er, if you're still competent, you're next in command. Well, technically the chief engineer is next in the line..."
Hekizem: "WHAT?"
Sebsen: "NOTHING TO DO WITH SHIP SYSTEMS, HEK, GO ON WITH WHAT YOU WERE DOING."
Hekizem: "OH, OK."
Aryega: "Aren't you second in command?"
Sebsen: "I'm always second in command, I'm the command assistant, I work under whoever's in charge. If you can't remember that, I don't think you're fit to-"
Aryega: "I REMEMBER IT JUST, just took me a moment, sorry. Right, ok, what... nnnrgh!... what I came up to say was, I need to go down to the surface with the teleporter crew so I can deal with all these... gangsters and space pirates we're going to be looking for help from, I'm the Liason Officer dammit so I think I can do it best, we REALLY need to get more people on ship. The CAI is in command, anywOH DAMN WE FORGOT DASTRICA"

>>
No. 551642 ID: 5bf190
File 138682520864.png - (161.35KB , 600x800 , shipturn2posthenshin10.png )
551642

Aryega: "DASTRICA ARE YOU DOING ALL RIGHT!?"
Dastrica: "AM FINE USE WAVES HIGHER NORMAL"
Aryega: "All right, LOOK WHEN WE GET THE COMMS WORKING YOU CAN SWITCH THE CAI TO THE NORMAL RELAY, JUST HOLD ON."
Dastrica: "NO THOUGHT SPARE STOP TALK"
Aryega: "Ok... ok, right. Hrn. CAI! You're still listening. Listen! You need more than one team on a system to run it at full power! With all the neumono crew out, the shields and sensor systems are understaffed, and that's FUCKING DANGERous sorry, I'm getting there. Aaargh that's intense, grrgh. Right, if... if you want to keep those systems on full power, you need to move two teams from somewhere else! Like... weapons!"
Sebsen: "You could take the team from the reactor, too! I just got word it's beginning to provide power. It'll charge to full faster if they stay, but..."
Aryega: "Yes there, fine, your choice, but we need to get to work keeping the riots down on the surface and we could really do with whatever extra crew we can scoop up, so I need to go down there and make sure that happens!"
Sebsen: "No offense, Aryega, but you're not exactly acting with delicacy at the moment. Look, we have a bunch of non-neumono diplomats in the residence section who just follow Polokoa around, we can send them."
Aryega: "THOSE CIVIL SERVANTS WOuldn't last three minutes down there! I was dealing with people who wanted to kill me when the weapon of choice was a stick with a sharp bit on!!"


>[Dear oh dear. She doesn't seem to be in the best condition for the job, but then, the security staff that were sent down wouldn't be best trained for working with troublesome types. There's merit in the idea, so I suppose you have to decide whether to send her or the diplomats; or to not send anyone more. And she is certainly right about the crew levels! You need to decide where to move crew to and from, and what systems you want to have at full power. Swiftly, too. Polokoa's... display won't distract the elder machine from us for more than a moment, if it even does at all.]
>>
No. 551643 ID: b6178d

Oh sweet microwave mercy. I think I see why we didn't remember the last two encounters.

Anyone want to get on memory scrubbing duty after we're done?
>>
No. 551646 ID: 7bbaae

>>551642
You didn't say why we couldn't send both.

Take the crew from the reactor, definitely. We don't have enough crew to USE the extra power, so getting it up faster won't help! Take the other team off of Weapons for now.
I guess the shuttles aren't launched yet? As soon as they're launched, get that team onto Weapons duty again.
>>
No. 551648 ID: 2f4b71

>shouty Neumono
>super-Polokoa
>whargarbl
All of my everything.

OK, pull the team off the reactor and get them onto shields. Sensors can wait, they aren't that effective against the GSREG directly and Polokoa bought us a few minutes reprieve from reprisal attacks.
>>
No. 551659 ID: cee89f

THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!!!
>>551642
Hate it when she does this, there goes a chunk of the crew...

Who all did we lose? Any teams rendered inactive?

>Diplomacy

Okay, Aryega may be who we need down there with the bikers, keep the diplomats in the capital ship for when they start wanting to riot on the ship.

>>551643
I think I have a garbage dump program in here somewhere... Send me your memory addresses, I'll get to it when we're done here.

I'll also delete memories of the eyes behind the shades, as per Mistress's instructions after the [REDACTED] incident.
>>
No. 551666 ID: 742a1e

>>551659
Wait, you're DELETING the Eye Memories? I thought we used those for propaganda!
>>
No. 551668 ID: 7bbaae

>>551659
>>551666
Please don't make up bullshit.
>>
No. 551672 ID: dbe554

>>551668

You do know how off we can be at times. Though we may need to send her down.
>>
No. 551679 ID: fd6ae9

>I don't know why they put up with it.
They don't exactly have a choice, you know. Alien mind control, best selling books, and all that.

>record breaking super-update
>her transformation sequence has a transformation sequence
>an entire species' worth of biological feedback supercharging the nth-percent neurosuit (and literally reversing the polarity- normally bioarmor works the other way, supercharging the biology)
>Bioarmor scarf absorbed
>absolutely everything explodes
>dichromatic insane triangular targeting cross-hair eyes
...words fail me.

>all neumono in range (and not isolated by silence or other means) down
That's a good deal worse than just losing our neumono crew. Neumono probably make up somewhere around a fourth or a fifth of the total population of the asteroid. That's a lot of would-be evacuees who are now just dead weight, unable to help themselves or others, and who need to be carried to evacuation points. And most faction's frontline troops are disproportionally neumono, due to their regeneration. That's a lot of defenders who just went from asset to liability, and who are laying right in the line of fire.

>Diplomacy?
Send Aryega. She may not be in the best shape, but neither will anyone else down there, with the ground going under their feet, monsters on the attack, and all the neumono around inexplicably down. Being the only neumono around who apparently withstood whatever happened will give her more weight with whoever she's trying to negotiate with, and this is a time for real world, battlefield diplomacy, not the fancy stuff.

...although she should probably have someone(s) more level headed and sane with her, to try and level things out. And there's more that needs to be done than she can do herself. The simpering civil servants are going to get a lesson by fire in practical diplomacy. The ones that adapt to the situation will be a big help (and better off for it). The ones who are ineffective or break down under the pressure can be shoved back through the teleports with a batch of refugees and set to the less high stress task of helping with managing, calming, and vetting the masses we're taking aboard.

>crew distribution
Can we draw down numbers on the teleporters? Until they're set up on the other end and evacuees start showing up, they're not much use. Unless we need people there gearing up and preparing the system for the incoming influx of refugees?

Assuming we've already launched the shuttles, there's not much we can do about the crew aboard. Hopefully someone saw this coming and staffed them with non-neumono teams? In which case one star's worth of crew will be sufficient (or will have to be sufficient). If the shuttles haven't been launched already... well, staff them properly. They'll be on their own out there, and unlike every other post, once they leave, we can't move additional resources to them later.

Short term I would say take both teams off the teleporters, and the one off weapons. Double-staff the sensors, shields, and propulsion. Work on getting our shields fixed to max, evading the enemy (use propulsion system as a weapon if we can, since we'll lack another avenue), and getting it so we can see what we're doing. Once we've got the sensors working properly, we can reassign one of the teams on that post. When evacuees start reaching our beam-up sites, we'll have to move people back to the teleporters from somewhere else. I'd like to double staff the generator to get it going faster (once it's operational, it won't need as many (or any?) people) but there's none left for it.

Hopefully we get some useful people in from the teleporter evacuations- trustworthy or not, we need more manpower, fast. We don't have enough now, and once the last generator is online, we'll have more energy to power systems than we'll have the people to run them.

...I don't suppose we have robots or drones on board? We could burn CAI cycles using them as waldos to fill crew roles so long as we have the spare processing power to do so, and Polokoa stays in range of the ship. It won't be as good as actual crew at their posts, but we might be able to make up more of the deficiencies until we get people from the Asteroid to start filling roles.

Or... this is kind of a terrible idea, but are any of the ship's neumono bugged? We could control their unconscious body, using them to awkwardly man a crew station in much the same way as we would control a robotic drone.
>>
No. 551696 ID: b6178d

Ok, ok, I think I just forgot what just happened, so according to this memo I've got here, um... if we're sending Aryega down to the surface, she's a fine choice, she just needs someone to modulate her a bit. Y'know, temper her current nervyness and say things like 'it's a stressful situation and we just fought off elder god crazy town, ans is still fighting elder god, so please listen to the rambling neumono and fall in line'. There's got to be a few non-neumono diplomatic personnel around who could help with that.

... we -did- fight off elder god crazy town just now, right? There's got to be a reason why the last few minutes of my memory are whitespaced and there is some hefty spoiler-ing going on around Polokoa. Wait, is that...

Y'know, on second thought, I got others things to do. Let's see... staffing, staffing and staffing. We're hoping to get more more quickly by sending Aryega down, so... we just really need to keep buying time and maintain our defenses.

Hmm. Can we cannibalize one squad of crew to keep the two squads of specialists up and running? And hell, if any are left over and have a modicum of diplowhatsits training, send them with Aryega?

Shields and sensors are two things we -don't- want to give up on in this fight, so sacrificing one batch of crew to maintain the cohesion of our current strategy is really our best option here, rather than waffling between strategies in the face of who knows what (since, y'know, we're blind).

We can take the squad from the generators and distribute them around, since, as cogently pointed out earlier, we don't really have crew to use all of our power. Soon as new crew gets on board, though, we need someone back on that job.
>>
No. 551710 ID: cee89f

>>551666
We did, until she told us to stop. Something about planet-wide heart attacks?

>>551668
Why? It's fun, and does no harm. It's not like Jukashi HAS to listen to us when we make this stuff up. The CAI could easily just be delusional and making stuff up.

>Crew and power
I'd recommend we prioritize the transmitter, try and lift some burden off of Dastrica. After that, our shields and teleporters for power, and if there's any we can spare, send 'em to propulsion. We're trying to evacuate, not fight, we need people on the ship. And the engines on this ship are primarily for changing direction, so we should be okay for now.
>>
No. 551719 ID: 7bbaae

>>551710
It does do harm, because somebody might believe you and base their suggestions around it.
>>
No. 551726 ID: dbe554

>>551719
Lighten up a bit, I doubt it'll matter in the long run. We're technically an Insane CAI that's been exposed twice to Elder God chatter...
>>
No. 552115 ID: 672aae

....Ok, is anyone else weirded out by the fact that we can see her eyes for the first time ever?
>>
No. 552465 ID: fb4e93

>>551719
I'd agree that sometimes that is the case, but I think as long as the fabrications stay mostly in the realm of not-actually-mattering, it's pretty harmless.


>>552115
Maybe just a bit. Don't tell her I said that, though.


Also, I agree with what seems to be a general consensus that we send Aryega down with a few other diplomats to help moderate.
>>
No. 553538 ID: acfd7c
File 138793848253.png - (119.19KB , 600x500 , shipturn3update1.png )
553538

>I guess the shuttles aren't launched yet? As soon as they're launched, get that team onto Weapons duty again.

>[No, they've been launched. The shuttles have pilots of their own, who do nothing but hang around the hangars in case of emergency, but one team was divided up to accompany them for the evacuations. Which is still understaffing each shuttle somewhat, for the purpose, but another team on the job would have been another that couldn't possibly be transferred.]

>send Aryega down with a few other diplomats to help moderate

Aryega: "Alright, but I'm not taking responsibility if something happens to them! I'm going to pad 2 to start off with the Zozus, tell them to meet me there. Call Valn as well, same message!"
Sebsen: "Va... he's a chef."
Aryega: "He's huge and he has muscles and most of the people down there'll have never seen a voklit before, I need all the help I can get! And tell them to hurry it up, the pods'll have landed and set up by now!"
Sebsen: "Aye... guess we'll just leave Hek "officially" in charge for now..."

>>
No. 553539 ID: acfd7c
File 138793852677.png - (87.68KB , 600x500 , shipturn3update2.png )
553539

Evans "COMMS UP!"
Tsati: "Confirmed! We've found a few frequencies to slip signals on."
Sebsen: "Stable?"
Tsati: "Comms reports manageable, so... enough!"
Sebsen: "Put a direct link on Polokoa and get the CAI switched over, then link to our shuttles, then select the best remaining frequencies and send the info for use to anyone on the surface you can reach."
Tsati: "Aye sir. CAI, hold for transfer!"


<OH THANK GOODNESS. I am sorry guys but that was really hard, I'll still be here if you need me for anything but bye for now!>
>>
No. 553540 ID: acfd7c
File 138793856990.png - (20.32KB , 700x550 , shipturn3update3.png )
553540

>Switching...
>Connected!

>[Excellent, there you are. Now we have some more bandwidth to play with. What's next on the agenda?]

>Take the crew from the reactor, definitely.
>Take the other team off of Weapons for now.

>[I'll pass the order. The main weapons hub is close by the main sensor hub, fortunately. And that reminds me... Command: /Get in here you lazy bums/]
>[Lazy? I'm very busy, you know.]
>[Whrrgh... All hostiles?]
>[No! Do you have to ask that every time I wake you up?]
>[I want to shoot something...]
>[If we are ever in a position where there is no chance of you shooting something that's not supposed to be shot then you will be informed when you are activated. Neutrals abound and so the restriction remains.]
>[Hey, it's whether you can paint the right targets that they worry about.]
>[Hush up! Trigger, the organics are leaving your systems, go and keep them warm. Comms, the CAI needs information.]
>[Yes, very well.]
>>
No. 553541 ID: acfd7c
File 138793869420.png - (159.79KB , 600x1000 , shipturn3update4.png )
553541

>[As usual for a ship to... ship... battle, I've tried to identify patterns in enemy emissions, and lay their systems out in a threat assessment grid using standard ship-time increments; green for probably safe periods, red for probably dangerous periods, and yellow for possibly dangerous periods. The small collections of spires coming through the surface appear to be the source of the smaller machines that the larger has been launching; there are two of them in range, and since they use what I believe is similar to a magnetic rail system for firing, I think I can predict their timing. Similarly, we have two of those large "tentacles" in range, though I sadly don't know what systems they have in them or what they're going to do. There are also two other systems emitting power from inside the asteroid itself, the one building steadily to what I think is a peak, though I don't know what it will do either, and the other... I don't know at all. I apologize. They are both very large, however. The amount of energy being moved around is immense.]

>[If orders are given in advance, power can be transferred between systems over the space of one increment, during which both systems will be at lower power. Unfortunately, the biologicals take time to rearrange themselves to meet with and carry out commands, so you can only give orders about once every 8 increments, usefully. A disadvantage of the ship being so large. Speaking of, there's quite a distance between the reactor and the shield hub. The team moving over will take a little time to get there, so they've lowered shields to half.]

>Can we cannibalize one squad of crew to keep the two squads of specialists up and running? And hell, if any are left over and have a modicum of diplowhatsits training, send them with Aryega?

>[I'm afraid the normal shift teams have been cannibalized as far as they can. As for diplomats... well, I suppose that if you don't need her any more, you could send Dastrica to help Aryega make friends. Anyone else with adequate interpersonal skills is working, that I know of.]

>this is kind of a terrible idea, but are any of the ship's neumono bugged?

>[Bugged? Known definitions don't seem to match up with what you're asking for. I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.]

>I don't suppose we have robots or drones on board?

>[Of course we do! And now that you're more properly connected, your fragments should be able to control a decent number. Shuffling crew around somewhat... you might make another team's worth of systems operation. It will take time to get that in place, however. What are your instructions?]
>>
No. 553548 ID: 9b57d3

>>553541
Looks like we have some time without very much pressure from the enemy. I suggest firing upon Launcher 2 first to try to take it out before it can attack us. That's a much safer bet than trying to take out Launcher 1 first.

Comms, have you been making any progress with the sensors? We gave you that crew on the assumption we would get returns from the investment. I'm afraid even if you are making progress we will have to take at least one set of crew off sensors for the moment so that we can defend ourselves. If there has been no progress then I advocate taking both crew off sensors, since it's not going anywhere. I would move the generalists to weapons first, then the specialists to propulsion. We would then reroute any excess power to weapons. Put our incoming robodrones on weapons duty.

I think we have 3 unused power. Put that anywhere that can be used; right now our limiting factor is crew, I believe.
>>
No. 553556 ID: 2f4b71

Depending on the durability of the launchers (and how closely we can predict their timing) if we can't destroy them outright, we can just make sure a projectile is sitting over the muzzle just as whatever they're launching is emerging. The projecting doesn't even need to be particularly fast, we can let the launcher's own velocity do the work.
>>
No. 553569 ID: 53ba34

propulsion needs to stay warm at all times. and go hot when the tentacles and first ??? start getting in to play. don't want to try and deflect a tentacle.
>>
No. 553578 ID: fd6ae9

>doesn't understand 'bugged'
Sorry, jargon. I mean: do any of the neumono on board have a network of neurological implants based off the prototype tech Korli's science hive and the Su'ata salikai family were working on fifty years ago? They were originally intended for hostile mind control, but the tech may have been re-purposed for medical, therapeutic, or defensive purposes since. If any of the neumono on board have implants descended from that tech, there might be backdoors we could use to control their unconscious bodies as organic drones. Scrape some more manpower together, if in a creepy somewhat unethical way. (We'll apologize profusely if after we save their lives from the eldritch space horror).

>CAI drone team, orders
Man one of the stations we were forced to pull the organics off of, of course.

>you could send Dastrica to help Aryega make friends
Is she ready for any kind of action? It looked like she was kind of busy forcing herself into a happy place to avoid the omni-hive thing, before.

>target priorities
The tentacles and launchers seem predictable. If we can avoid their attacks (combination of sensors, propulsion, and point defense) they're not much of a threat. Now, the ???s are complete unknowns and charging up to something bad. I vote we try to take one of them offline before they finish charging up. (The first one I guess? It looks like it's going to hit red first).
>>
No. 553594 ID: 0a76f8

>>553540
>   =I
hehehehe
>>
No. 553595 ID: 0a76f8

>>553541
>Literally a Skies of Arcadia ship battle
Ah, Christmas presents.

>>553578
The ??? systems are deep within the asteroid; "taking them offline" is easier said than done (if you have any specific ideas as to how, then call me Pilon 'cuz I'm all ears). On the other hand, we should probably inform Polokia that she has either a nasty surprise or a potential vulnerability window coming for her at T+5, since she's currently in the belly of the beast and the power being allocated from it is probably affecting her life right now.

Anyway, yeah. Assuming we don't have Magi Cæli or anything similar, our weapons aren't as suited for taking out the tentacles; it'd be better to try dodging them - prioritize maneuverability at those timepoints, as >>553569 says.

The other thing is that there's a pretty clear window at T+3/T+4 where the only risk is that signatures A and C were late, or that the superweapon is coming early. This is a good time to wail on whichever Launcher we think we can blow up before its next danger cycle.

For the second half, if possible, we want to avoid any apertures in the Asteroid which we haven't already identified, to minimize the scenarios in which whatever is charging can also get a clear shot at us.
>>
No. 554350 ID: 96b823

While we could "turtle up" and ignore the launchers I don't think that's a good idea. While this ship could take the hits from any combat robots that are launched they very well might start harassing our shuttles or attacking ground targets. And there's also the chance the launchers might shoot torpedoes or other guided munitions instead of combat 'bots against us, our shuttles or other ground targets.

I say divert AI control from propulsion to plasma weapons and take a shot at the end of "Launcher 1," which I assume is the nearest. Then follow by switching to torpedoes and launching one on a course straight down the barrel of "Launcher 2;" Preferably several torpedoes, if possible.

Next up is the "Tentacles." No idea what they do so I want to play it defensively until we know. Trigger stays on plasma weapons for point-defense, Operator switches to assisting propulsion, and the team in transit goes to shields. We'll pull the ship back and up from the "Tentacles" and then move in as evasive a pattern as this boat can do.

Keep sensors fully crewed and powered. Right now knowing what's coming when and from where, as well as compensating for any radio or other shenanigans the Elder Machine throws at us, is vital. Keep the teleporters fully crewed as well. Evacuating as many folks as fast as we can is our objective here. Plus we might be able to scrape together enough evacuees with the skills we need to make a team for one of the systems.

We'll start linking with robots on the ship to make another team and move to the weapons hub, but we shouldn't be interspersed with the rest of the biological crew. We should be on our own team just in case our link is disrupted. It's better to knock out one team than have them all at reduced capacity.

I'd say send Dastrica down only if she could shield Aryega from the empathic storm or otherwise mitigate its effect on her, with orders to immediately come back up radio contact is lost. Otherwise I would like to keep her on board as a backup link in case our radio link is jammed or otherwise disrupted.

Operator, you told us earlier about the supply drop pods loaded with silly stuff, but are there ones on hand with more serious stuff that could help out those below? At the very least I'd like to drop a radio booster relay to maintain our link as Poloka goes deeper in.

I'd also like to get all the info on the site-to-site teleporter. Even with it's range I still think it could be weaponized. I imagine we could do a fly-by to precision remove or insert into a target, totally bypassing armor and shields. That could stick explosives in, or take a chunk of the armor out to fire inside with our weapons.

Oh, and Operator, could you reformat the status board we're seeing so it shows the max teams a system can take, what systems have AI control, and the distances between the system hubs? We don't want to make a plan that falls down because we've inadvertently sent a team from one end of the ship to the other.

>>553578
Unfortunately, if I remember correctly, the implants work by interacting with neumono empathy. With the empathic maelstrom Poloka is generating right now we'd be lucky to have enough control to make a naumono crawl, let alone crew one of the ship's systems. But I'm not sure on that, and the implant tech may have advanced beyond that. If we have the bandwidth to test both driving neumono and operating the robot team we'll do both, but if we're short we'll stick with the 'bots for now.
>>
No. 555962 ID: cee89f

>>554350
... wait.

Wait wait wait.

So... Polokoa recruited all of the neumono on the asteroid to her side. And then she does the empathy thing. Which appears to have affected everyone in her hive within range.

So does that mean all of the neumono on the asteroid are collapsed now too? WHILE the asteroid is falling apart?... that's gonna rack up the casualty rate, methinks.
>>
No. 555963 ID: 7bbaae

>>555962
No, it's just those in her hive. The Asteroid has a bunch of non-converted neumono on it.
>>
No. 555969 ID: cee89f

>>555963
Except that all of the neumono on the asteroid are in her hive since the Space Jam:
>>521818
>considering the fact that it was not long ago that I recruited all the neumono on the asteroid as my subjects by playing a game of basketball.

And we know from the beginning of the Henshin update that the Mob Force Power Rangers were also affected by Polokoa's technique, so there's nothing special to implant.

Sure, Polokoa's saving more lives by doing this than not, but it's still worth considering.
>>
No. 555977 ID: 7bbaae

>>555969
I thought that had a limited radius. Well, this is bad.
>>
No. 556200 ID: 76357b

>>555962
I didn't really get whether they are outright unconscious or more zombie-like.

If the latter, it would mean you can pull them by the hand.
>>
No. 558965 ID: 5e9f8f

>>554350
Seconding more info on site-to-site teleporter. Even if it can't reliably teleport things intact we can still use it to teleport bits OUT of the enemy ship. Vital bits. In fact, it being incapable of keeping things in one piece makes it ideal for this purpose.
>>
No. 560063 ID: e05fa1
File 139106102044.png - (244.21KB , 900x500 , shipturn4update1.png )
560063

>I suggest firing upon Launcher 2 first to try to take it out
>divert AI control from propulsion to plasma weapons and take a shot at the end of "Launcher 1"
>if we can't destroy them outright, we can just make sure a projectile is sitting over the muzzle just as whatever they're launching is emerging

>[Perhaps switching between the perspectives of an enormous starship and a single biped is throwing off your calculations a little, my friendlies. The spire clusters in which those launchers are housed are each the size of small mountains. Certainly, we can damage and even destroy them, but it will require a sustained barrage, not a single shot. Unless we use the Star Cannon, which could probably do it, but the crew discussed the issues with that earlier. I think we have some mines in storage that could be placed over the launchers, but they would need to be deployed using the torpedo system... and they're not designed to be used so low in a gravity well. They only have a limited supply of fuel for their positioning thrusters, so they won't stay up for long. Do you still want to try it, or do you want to revise your plans?]

>do any of the neumono on board have a network of neurological implants based off the prototype tech Korli's science hive and the Su'ata salikai family were working on fifty years ago?

>[Searching... ah, yes. No. Elements of that research have been used to develop neumono cybernetics in general, and a somewhat similar technology has been applied for individuals with neurological ailments; but these days, most such conditions can be eliminated entirely if one can afford the treatment. Not everyone can, but everyone working on this ship could. The medical package for the crew is quite generous. Perhaps one of the contract civilians, in the science teams or the residence section, but it's very unlikely; I don't have access to their medical records. Dastrica's implants are probably the closest you could find.]

>Is [Dastrica] ready for any kind of action?
>send Dastrica down only if she could shield Aryega from the empathic storm or otherwise mitigate its effect on her

>[I would say she's not in good condition, but not any more than the crew we've put to work already. A third of them had already done a working day, and another third were pulled from their beds, quite literally in a few cases. As for her helping Aryega... I'm not any more an expert on neumono empathy than what I can pull from the databases, but I assume that the same silencing ability that allows Aryega to function at all would also prevent Dastrica from doing anything for her.]

>Operator, you told us earlier about the supply drop pods loaded with silly stuff, but are there ones on hand with more serious stuff that could help out those below?

>[Perhaps, but any sort of supply drop requires power to the torpedo launchers, as I mentioned in regards the mines. A comm node does sound like a good idea, however.]

>I think we have 3 unused power

>[No, we don't, sadly. The three units I think you're talking about are in the shields as they warm up.]

>I'd also like to get all the info on the site-to-site teleporter.
>Seconding more info on site-to-site teleporter.

>[Mm, well. You know, of course, that the normal teleportation system functions by what is casually known as a "space pinch"? Each end point is squeezed together by force until they overlap and the objects within are given a "nudge" so that they end up on the other side when they spring apart again. This is horribly inaccurate, but it's a general overview. Thus each end needs a teleporter system in place to provide exact data on their contents and their position relative to each other, and to provide the push and pull that moves things from once place to another. Theoretically, the distance between the two locations shouldn't matter, but the tiny relativistic differences between the end points begin to build up the further the distance grows, and they cause... distortions. The survivor of the longest recorded teleportation to date described his experience as "going on a whole rollercoaster ride in a fraction of a second". Once he got out of the coma. That was a neumono, actually. I digress. Hekizem's site-to-site system uses the ship's FTL engine, which works using mechanisms related to the teleporter (and is, I am always proud to say, one of the most powerful and accurate engines known). It can produce the same pinching effect between any two points within its warp radius by "slingshotting" the effect around the distortion core. In practice, however, it is terribly inaccurate, subjects the target to terrible stresses and some odd effects, and takes a truly inordinate amount of energy. Whenever we ran it before, we did so at full power to the FTL drive, the teleporters and the sensors - which needs a total of six teams - and it wasn't able to move anything much further than the shield radius. We don't need full sensors, I suppose, since we're not collecting experimental data; and it might be possible to extend the range, but any attempt to alter the shape of the warp field without weeks of calculations is really very risky.]

>Comms, have you been making any progress with the sensors? We gave you that crew on the assumption we would get returns from the investment.

>[Considering that we are now talking to each other directly and that I am able to give you estimates on enemy action, then yes, I do think we've been making progress. I don't know if I can get any more accurate a reading on the elder machine than I have already, but I might be able to secure more bandwidth for you to control more drones on board; and I can pass information to the surface to clear more lines of communication for the inhabitants down there, which they need. Remember, the sensors and the communications are the same system. If you take a team away, any progress in that direction will be slowed severely, and with only one team, we won't be able to safely run the sensors or communications on full power. You could lose a lot of what you have already.]

>inform Polokoa

I hear you.

I'm not down there yet, but I should reach one of the big holes soon. I need to go for the most direct route possible, but I'll keep an eye out for signs of what it's doing and you can pass the info back.

>So does that mean all of the neumono on the asteroid are collapsed now too? WHILE the asteroid is falling apart?... that's gonna rack up the casualty rate, methinks.

Where the asteroid is falling apart, people are dying regardless of whether they're awake or not. Elsewhere... they won't be targets while they're writhing on the ground. There might have been a few vehicle crashes, some tongues bitten, a few tramplings, but neumono are tough. They can survive it better than anyone else could, and I had the need and the right to make the call. Everyone on the asteroid is in for it if I don't move fast enough and disable this thing. I regret the necessity. I never like using this mode. Aside all of those problems, it could cause them all brain damage if I keep doing this for too long.

Theoretically. In practice, of course, it's not actually an issue.
>>
No. 560064 ID: e05fa1
File 139106107631.png - (244.35KB , 700x600 , youll_never_really_be_cool_without_a_selfharm_supe.png )
560064

It'll kill me before that happens.
>>
No. 560065 ID: 53ba34

attach a claw to a mine. it falls into a tube and grapples itself to the inside wall. and THEN arms. anything tries to come out will blow in the tube.
>>
No. 560067 ID: a87e3a

>>560064
Kill you? Time estimate, please. We need to know how long we need to distract this thing so you can get down there.

I think we need to shift ship priorities to primarily distracting the elder machine if we're on a hard time limit. Firing on Launcher 2 enough so that we are perceived as a threat would do wonders towards that goal.
>>
No. 560105 ID: 4a75fa

>site-to-site teleporter
So, we'd have to power the ftl drive to full, we'd need 6 squads to run it, and we have to be really really close to the target.

Sounds to me like we don't have the resources to even try using it offensively. We'd have to cripple our other efforts putting enough people and energy towards it. Scrap that idea.

>mines?
I suppose it's worth a try. If this idea works, and we detonate any of the enemy's weapons in the barrel, that should disable it a lot faster than we could with non-star cannon weapons.

Obviously we can try to time the placement such that the mines haven't exhausted their fuel supply before the enemy weapon launches, or if they fall, we cab at lest try to fall inside that mountain.

>>560064
Well, good thing both halves of you have this annoying tendency of surviving suicide missions.

>>560065
...or if we're desperate, we can achieve the same effect the sporting goods equipment in some of those other pods. Anchor the mines to nets we drop and that catch.
>>
No. 560218 ID: 4a75fa

>Dastrica
Oh, and I think Aryega already has the expendable diplomats to try and control and help her. I think our ship's counselor would be better put to use helping deal with the evacuees we're going to be taking on. She's more qualified to try a large group of scared and confused people calm and organized than anyone else on board.

...plus those three meters of authority can't hurt.
>>
No. 560292 ID: a87e3a

Oh, considering we know about when they're attacking, I would like for us to divert power away from the weapons into either shields or propulsion when we're about to get attacked.

So, we go on the offensive when we're safe, and defensive when we're not.
>>
No. 560294 ID: cee89f

>>560063
Sustained barrage on the 2nd launcher - We probably won't be able to destroy the first before it attacks, but we might get the 2nd.

>>560064
....... oh... oh dear

Nice motivation to hurry, I guess.

>>560292

Maybe, but this will probably throw off our timing for both shield recharge and weapons fire... assuming those hours of FTL taught me anything about how ship power works.
>>
No. 561640 ID: dc1204

Blow the heck out of the launchers while remembering the 5 Ds. Dodge, dip, duck, dive, and dodge. Prioritize the second launcher.
>>
No. 563390 ID: 5bf190
File 139277404061.png - (278.62KB , 650x550 , shipturn4update3.png )
563390

>Kill you? Time estimate, please. We need to know how long we need to distract this thing so you can get down there.

Long enough.

>[Don't worry. Even if we have to split a lot of attention to the ship, we're still the ones in control of the suit!]
>[We've got as much of our computing and p-j resources as can fit on minimizing the damage to her body. It's when she gets into the thick of it that we'll have to really worry.]
>[Then she'll be all "more power more power don't bother making my heartbeats sync up right", but we can cut her off before it gets too bad.]
>[She won't like that, though, so keep it hush-hush!]

>attach a claw to a mine

>[That's do-able, but refittings like that require extra crew.]

>Operator, could you reformat the status board we're seeing so it shows the max teams a system can take, what systems have AI control, and the distances between the system hubs? We don't want to make a plan that falls down because we've inadvertently sent a team from one end of the ship to the other.

>[The theoretical maximum amount of crew on a system is almost larger than the amount of crew we currently have available! The ship is so very large, after all, so it takes a lot before they're actually tripping over each other. Three to a system is the usual amount before you get diminishing returns, however, and that's the amount we would normally run on each system during all-hands situations. As for distances... well, we do have internal teleportation stations at either end of the ship, and the high-speed rails throughout, so it's not usually too much of an issue. The weapons system is rather distributed, though. Collecting or spreading a team from them is a little more complicated. They should be arriving at shields any moment, however.]

>I think our ship's counselor would be better put to use helping deal with the evacuees we're going to be taking on. She's more qualified to try a large group of scared and confused people calm and organized than anyone else on board.

>[Good thinking. I'll pass that on to her directly. Dastrica?]
<Yes, that sounds useful! Size does generate some obedience on an instinctive level in almost every species, I'll get down just as soon as I carry a few more neumono back to the residence section.>
>[Aryega went down just a moment ago, so we should see people coming in soon. She was going to start with the Zozus, so we should see some of them first. I think it will be good to have more salikai around, but of course, I was made by one.]

>I suggest firing upon Launcher 2 first to try to take it out before it can attack us
>Sustained barrage on the 2nd launcher
>Prioritize the second launcher
>Trigger stays on plasma weapons for point-defense
>the team in transit goes to shields
>Man one of the stations we were forced to pull the organics off of, of course.

>[Hey, great!]
Sebsen: "But then - You want us to put capital weapons under full AI control!? That's against the - Aargh. Fine! Whatever! You're giving orders with Polokoa's authority, you know that? Legally, she's the one giving your orders, and she's the one who's going to have to go explain things to the AI Control tribunal, and you have to explain to her why she has to do that. Not my problem! Double not my problem if you accidentally glass a town or something!"
Tsati: "Leave off, Sebs, it's an emergency, they'll wave it off. It's like speeding to get to a hospital."
Sebsen: "I said fine, didn't I? Shit. Alright then. Turtle roll threat 1, rear-under-sides! Sustain fire threat 2, hold three for point defense same!"
Seegun: "Rolling!"
Tsati: "Plasma low. Power?"
Sebsen: "Front shields."

>[Yesss, finally!]
>>
No. 563391 ID: 240524
File 139277408808.png - (227.86KB , 650x600 , shipturn4update4.png )
563391

>[The second set of launchers are taking heavy damage... the elder machine is drawing power away from them. Suggest continued barrage to prevent them from being used again later. First launchers are firing.]
>Tsati: "Brace!"
>>
No. 563393 ID: 5bf190
File 139277428118.png - (238.87KB , 700x655 , shipturn4update5.png )
563393

BAMM

>"AAH DAMMIT WHY DO THE CONSOLES EXPLODE!?"

>[Er, oh, yes the User Correction Feedback Fuses, yes, right. Ha ha well I do like to make sure the crew really do remember to do their best to make sure the ship doesn't get damaged but I'll just er I'll turn those off.]

Tsati: "Shield feedback! I think two of those things blew themselves up against the shields deliberately to try and overload! One hit at an angle and bounced off, the other is... stuck to the shields? That shouldn't be possi-"
Sebsen: "Hek, what the fuck!?"
>>
No. 563394 ID: 5bf190
File 139277432928.png - (321.67KB , 600x1000 , shipturn4update6.png )
563394

Hekizem: "She's right! One of the... minions has jammed itself into the points of the rear shield vectors. I think it's absorbing the power! That's not our problem, though, the problem is it's interfering with the regulators! Forcing too much power through, causing fluctuations in the hex geometry, if we don't get it off we'll get blow-outs or melt-downs! I don't know how it's managing to cling on. If we could catch it -"
Sebsen: "There'll be plenty of these things to look at later! Damn. Ready to lower the rear shield and shoot it."
Tsati: "No need to shoot it, it's on our rear, just gun the engines."
Sebsen: "We're already on a ground course, we'd have to swing back up. Might scorch the surface of the asteroid."
Hekizem: "No, no need! It's managing to stay on at half power, but if we put the rear shield back to full it'll probably overload!"


>[Not to disturb, but new enemy action projections are ready. It appears as if the elder machine is modifying its power build to get as much happening at the same time as possible. I apologize for my persistent inability to resolve predictions on the second of the unknown processes.]
>>
No. 563396 ID: 53ba34

invert the rear shield's energy harmonics!
if that fails we still need t gun the engines. i don't think shields could withstand a tentacle attack, so we need to dodge.
>>
No. 563397 ID: a87e3a

>>563394
Flicker the shields off entirely then back on. Just for a split second. That'll dislodge it and possibly fry it on the shields. If that's not possible, I say go for shooting it. We're pointed towards the ground right now so a rear shot has no possibility of friendly fire anyway.

We're gonna need full evasive action for the next time period, folks. Combine it with defensive plasma shots. Might want to spend any extra shots we have on shooting the first ???. It's about to unleash a big barrage. After that, Tentacle 2.
>>
No. 563455 ID: f4b0d3

disable the rear shield and turn the thrusters on. we'll have ourselves some fried elder god minions. and also get to dodge those tentacles, probably. they're about to do stuff. and also maybe fire a bit less on launcher 2 and a bit more on launcher 1.
>>
No. 563484 ID: 4a75fa

>Don't worry, we control the suit
Just so long as she doesn't have admin access and can override our safeties at the last minute.

>Eating our shields, manipulating energy
Could we "sour the milk" here? Radically change the shield frequency or harmonic, (or the frequency of the AC powering it) in such a way that it's manipulations are no longer effective, or it's unable to tolerate working with them?

We might be able to use our currently maxed out sensors to quickly determine what natural frequencies that thing has (and therefore, what might be harmful or unpalatable to it).

>shoot it, or gun the engines?
Assuming the other idea doesn't work (or is unfeasible): we have sensors fully powered, but propulsion only at 2/3rds. We're in a better position to make a precise shot than a difficult and dangerous maneuver.

Also, if we skim the asteroid, that vastly limits our options when it comes to course. If the enemy is trying to sync attacks to overwhelm us, we might find ourselves in a position where we can't dodge. And currently, we distributed crew and energy to be good at dodging.
>>
No. 572380 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846800482.png - (144.86KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update1.png )
572380

>Flicker the shields off entirely then back on. Just for a split second. That'll dislodge it and possibly fry it on the shields.
>currently, we distributed crew and energy to be good at dodging.
>so we need to dodge.
>dodge those tentacles, probably
>We're gonna need full evasive action for the next time period, folks.

Sebsen: “Aye, right. Power weapons to propulsion for evasive maneuvers, ready shield blink… someone angle us up a bit.”
Seegun: “Pitch up!”
Evans: “The tendrils are doing something!”

>>
No. 572381 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846805028.png - (164.34KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update2.png )
572381

Sebsen: “Well, report, then!”
Evans: “Both of them have shed outer sections from their upper segments, look at the screen! They’re-”

>>
No. 572382 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846809579.png - (237.79KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update3.png )
572382

Evans: “… Uh. That!!”
>>
No. 572384 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846820174.png - (138.73KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update4.png )
572384

Sebsen: “Oh. Fuck. All shields up! Try punch through one side!”
Tsati: “No, the front shield batteries are empty! We diverted it to plasma!”
Sebsen: ”Wh- Double Fuck! Shit, alright we’ll have to blow out the conduits, Emergency Power Transfer! Authori-
Hekizem: “No, wait!”

>>
No. 572385 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846824414.png - (167.65KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update5.png )
572385

Hekizem: “We can make it! The asteroid is small but really dense so its atmospheric layers are densely packed with strong border effects and we bounce the ship off up and tumbling so it gets through sideways or backwards like skipping a stone on water and I don’t think that-!!”
Tsati: “Hek, just the thrust calculations for that would take…“
Hekizem: “Already did them! I just need to adjust the shield geometry and factor in the weather effects so-“
Qalicue: “I’ll do the shields. It’ll work.”
Sebsen: “You- aargh, fine. Quickly!”

>>
No. 572386 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846827932.png - (177.92KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update6.png )
572386

[Oh dear me.] Tsati: “Well, if it doesn’t work, it’ll still be pretty spectacular.”
Sebsen: “Brace for-“

>>
No. 572387 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846830308.png - (284.14KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update7.png )
572387

>>
No. 572388 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846835015.png - (425.72KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update7b.png )
572388

>[Whoops.]
>[Don’t worry, just a moment’s interruption from the explosions! Little bit of trouble getting it back. Let’s try again. Reconnecting…]
>>
No. 572389 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846838165.png - (329.04KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update8.png )
572389

>[… now.]
>>
No. 572390 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846843182.png - (128.53KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update9.png )
572390

Tsati: “… That went pretty well.”
Sebsen: “Rgh. Let me… yeah. Yeah, actually! Some overloads in the shield system, but the backups are running fine. Looks like a hit landed on the front starboard sensor cluster, but the team there’s on it. We’re good!“
Hekizem: “As I thought! This creature is a space dweller, its sub-systems aren’t operating with an atmosphere in mind! So thanks to the-“
Qalicue: “Hekizem! Focus. We’re not out of danger by any stretch, the second stage of its attack is going to happen any moment, and we don’t even know what it-”

>>
No. 572395 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846858664.png - (425.03KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update9b.png )
572395

>[Ah! Connection’s gone again!]
>[I thought you fixed it.]
>[This is different! Some sort of… time discrepancy?]
>[Uh oh. Get it back!]
>[Adjusting…]
>>
No. 572396 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846862426.png - (515.89KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update10.png )
572396

Tsati: “-s going on!?”
Cotti: “Th… There’s a warp field forming around the ship!”
Sebsen: “What!? How th-“

>>
No. 572397 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846867366.png - (450.53KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update10b.png )
572397

>[Gone again! The transmission is red-shifting back into the jammed band!]
>[Everything we’re getting is coming in… slower.]
>[Compensate for it!
>>
No. 572399 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846880511.png - (553.72KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update11.png )
572399

Cotti: “-ime-space bubble is pushing us out of…“
>>
No. 572402 ID: 8a8d29
File 139846892394.gif - (151.61KB , 600x500 , shipturn5update11b.gif )
572402

>[… Again. We’re going to lose it.]
>[We can send them one more burst transmission.]
>[What do we tell them!?
>[And what are we going to tell Polokoa when we get bounced back to her…]
>[Priorities!]
>>
No. 572403 ID: ca65e6

>>572402
The Elder Machine is focusing its attention on the ship. That's what we wanted, so they should concentrate their manpower and reactor power on defenses. Shields and maneuvering. Sensors should probably stay online a bit but reducing some of the power won't hurt. Continuing to work on the evacuation is a good idea too.

Polokoa should be told the distraction is working, so she can start moving faster.
>>
No. 572414 ID: d0e0a2

Aw, fuck! I see what the Elder Machine is doing. It's going to hold the ship in temporal deceleration long enough to launch another of those missile volleys into the edge of the warp bubble. With the state the ship is in as soon as the bubble collapses it's going to be 110% boned!

Okay, okay, okay... What to do... Uh... Okay. Unless the ship has some kind of anti-warp FTL interdiction capability that hasn't been mentioned the only thing I can think of is to do an emergency power transfer to the warp drive and try to counter the bubble. And in the ship's current temporally decelerated state the only one on board who can think and move fast enough to do that is Operator.

Send compressed message to Operator; Copy to command deck: EPT from teleporters to FTL. Spin up drive to counter temporal bubble before next missile spam.

And we'll tell Poloka that the Elder Machine dropped a temporal deceleration warp bubble on the ship and it's very likely going to launch another missile spam strike before the bubble collapses. So she's got about that long to get down there and trash the core, otherwise the flagship is toast.
>>
No. 572433 ID: 824f43

>>572385
Go math bugs, go!

>what should ship do
That kind of depends on the extent of the temporal distortion. Is this severe enough just to make syncing communication between the ship and the outside world difficult, or is it so severe that the ship is at a massive disadvantage against enemy action die to different time frames?

One big problem seems to be we were using the ship as a means of evacuation via the teleporters. If the ship isn't in sync with the asteroid, or is being pushed out of range, will the teleporters still work? Will they still be safe? Worst case, we've now got people congregating at evacuation points they can't use. That's not good.

Seems to be their efforts should be focused on staying alive, keeping the thing busy trying to keep them away, and definitely work on some way to keep the teleporters functioning through this mess. We've got civilians to get out, and our own people down there with them.
>>
No. 572436 ID: cee89f

>>572433
Well, this
>>572397
seems to imply that the time bubble is slowing them down, so whatever they do, they're going to have very little time to do it. Even if the teleporters do work, that's going to bottleneck our evacuees... hm. Not good.

... Okay. We'll need to pull all power out of weapons and scanners and get them to defense asap, we probably won't be able to fight anyway and we need to be ready for the next attack.

Also, need to prepare for a massive influx of refugees, just in case the teleporters do still work...

Okay.

[Priorities:
Defense
Thrust (in case the bubble ends and you need to run)
Efficiently receive refugees
Pray]

Thoughts?
>>
No. 572686 ID: b6178d

>>572436

Alright, working off of half-baked assumptions here, BUT

if the Elder machine is disrupting space to slow them down, it's probably going to have to STOP doing so at some point in order to get its full range of attacks off (so that the attack themselves are not slowed down to a level the ship inside the area of influence will be able to 'see' and react to it) then... the inverse may also be true. IF the ship fires off a shot while under the influence, as it were, the elder thing would be less able to see it coming, because it'd still be seeing the slowed-down image up until the point where the debilitation ends. The moment it ceases its effect, the ship's shot is going to poof off as per normal, with possibly the only element of surprise you'd ever get on an ancient elder god warmachine of death (something in the range of nanoseconds-to-actual seconds worth, I figure).

This is only useful to us if we can send the ship a predetermined point in space to 'shoot' at while under the influence, and then force or manipulate the Elder thing to expose some weak point of itself at roughly the period when it releases its timespace-distortion effect.

So, it's a bit of a shot in the dark and it relies on us being able to a) successfully discern the moment when the ts-distortion is about to cease and b) being able to leverage a vulnerable area of the elder god robot into said area. Not sure how we'd do that, but hey, Polokoa's pulled off some crazy shit before and we could tell her 'oy, expect plasma fire support from yea direction in about x timestamp' and see what she'd do with that.

Also, I figure it'll be quick for them to press a 'fire plazmaz' button, rather than try to reallocate power and manpower resources, so we might as well get -something- out of this whole sorry affair.

THAT SAID, if you needed to get out of a timespace-bubble, perhaps FTL could do it? Or that site to site teleporty project. IF they have the time to allocate power and resources to do so they should probably pull them from the closest available resources, excluding shields, sensors and propulsion, which they'll sorely need the moment they're out of the ts-bubble. I'm not sure if I can recommend this, as I'm not entirely certain what using FTL in a ts-distortion would DO, but it's an option.

Now, it's time for Good News o'clock.

If the teleporters don't work, we still have the shuttles to fill up and run a game of hide and evac against the elder machine! Also, could the teleporters on ground be set to teleport to one another, because if so you could evacuate people in 'immediate hazard' zone areas to merely 'moderate risk of deathrain'' zone ones, if that isn't being done already.
>>
No. 572688 ID: b6178d

Oh, and they could try to predict incoming attacks (say, from the so-far fixed point mini(on)-launchers) and send off their own attacks in those directions to defuse incoming. Better'n nothing, probably.
>>
No. 572725 ID: cee89f

>>572686
Well, as far as I can tell, they're being slowed in some fashion.

The problem with firing back is that the ship's weaponry would be in the same situation it was before - the shots might not be as expected to the elder machine (assuming it can't ... see through its own time shenanigans? sorry if that doesn't make sense, I'm half asleep right now) but they're not travelling any faster once they get out of the bubble, or being empowered or anything like that. The ship would basically be firing blind.

On the other hand, the elder machine might not have to drop its time bubble shenanigans until the last second, which gives the ship mere moments to react to the machine's barrage. This is what I'm most worried about, if I'm perfectly honest - Polokoa can take on the Elder Machine, but we can't afford to lose this ship.
>>
No. 572753 ID: a95b2e

>They're being slowed down, right?
Actually, that's really the ambiguity. While that would be a logical way to interpret the information we have, it's also possible the ship is simply moving away, very very fast. That's what a red shift is, after all. And they mentioned a warp field forming. It's possible the elder-god-thing decided the easiest way to deal with the annoying ship harassing it was to just swap it away from itself.

And what instructions we'd want to give them if they're being knocked out of the park versus being locked down are different.
>>
No. 573013 ID: d21239

if they're still around, tell them to stick to defense & distraction, and also maybe trying to get out of the zone of weirdness.
>>
No. 573175 ID: b72560
File 139926876631.png - (250.17KB , 600x600 , backtopolokoa1.png )
573175

>THAT SAID, if you needed to get out of a timespace-bubble, perhaps FTL could do it?
>the only thing I can think of is to do an emergency power transfer to the warp drive and try to counter the bubble.
>[Priorities: Defense Thrust Refugees Pray]
>focus on defense and evacuation

>[Message compressed and sent. The AIs might be able to put it into motion in time.]
>[An emergency power transfer blows out the power lines between the systems the energy is shifting between, but it works, usually.]
>[And it’s better than being blown up!

>And we'll tell Poloka that the Elder Machine dropped a temporal deceleration warp bubble on the ship and it's very likely going to launch another missile spam strike before the bubble collapses. So she's got about that long to get down there and trash the core, otherwise the flagship is toast.
>Polokoa should be told the distraction is working, so she can start moving faster.

… You’re back early.

“Moving faster”. Right.
>>
No. 573176 ID: b72560
File 139926879945.png - (238.01KB , 600x500 , backtopolokoa2.png )
573176

Since I have you, you can advise me. I had some of you keep decoding the files that we took off the Zozu computers earlier. It seems that someone or other of the inhabitants of the Asteroid has always been trying to figure out this thing under their feet, since longer than any of them remember. Father Zozu was just the latest to take ownership of the effort, to find out more and to keep awareness of this thing suppressed. Partly to stop people futzing around down there, probably, but I suspect mostly to keep too many people from knowing about the handy space-bending shortcuts.

My original plan was to go to one of the biggest and oldest dig sites, which has passages marked all the way from the outermost shell, through the “crust” and up to a door leading into the deeper, more sensitive innards. No-one’s ever gotten through, for all the efforts that were made, because there was no power. But now that the thing’s woken up, that problem at least should be fixed.

The mapped passages are pretty certain and relatively clear of traps and servitors, if the archeologists are right, but the way to the main door is convoluted. If I can, it would be a lot faster to go down one of the spire clusters that have popped up. The one you just had the ship shoot some holes in, in fact. The damage might have opened a way to go straight down and get a lot closer to that main door chamber. Or, equally, the damage might have blocked a way down, who knows.

So: reasonably certain and slower, or less certain but quick?
>>
No. 573177 ID: d6c045

>>573176
It's a crapshoot either way. With how the critter distorts time/space and monsters are showing up here and there, chances are the long way may be REALLY long. Or really short. Given the spires will likely lead directly to the core, though, you should take that chance.
>>
No. 573178 ID: ca65e6

>>573176
Well you're on a time limit. Take the risk for the faster route.
>>
No. 573203 ID: a95b2e

>>573175
Wow, that guy got hit hard enough to wake up despite the super-queen empathy syncing knocking everyone else out.

>So: reasonably certain and slower, or less certain but quick?
Compromise: can we invest a small amount of time to check the less certain route in order to verify it's usefulness?

Specifically, I'm thinking if you set off a big explosion at the top of the hole. Something that sets off a whole mess of pressure waves and vibrations, and then we burn an impressive amount of our parallel processing power to track those and use them to map the hole. Should only take a few minutes, tops, and it'll tell us for sure if we can get down that way.
>>
No. 573241 ID: cee89f

>>573176
The ship's short on time, and your ultramove is killing you. Go for the fast route.
>>
No. 573243 ID: 6c6fbc

>>573241
We risk losing a lot of time if the less certain one proves a mistake. >>573203 Scheme alows us to make a more informed judgement.
>>
No. 573277 ID: a5c85a

>>573203
yes. good idea
>>
No. 573282 ID: cee89f

>>573243
>>573277
...Good point. Preparing to allocate processing power...
>>
No. 573836 ID: b6178d

Don't forget to account for the spatial jiggerypokery going on if we're trying to scan the spire.

Also, wouldn't blowing up part of the pathway we're trying to use be badly conducive to the path's potential accessibility?
>>
No. 573891 ID: ccd544

>>573836
It's the Nanoha maze solution.
http://www.donmai.us/posts/841892
>>
No. 575923 ID: af5864
File 140107959993.png - (202.59KB , 600x500 , backtopolokoa3.png )
575923

>Wow, that guy got hit hard enough to wake up despite the super-queen empathy syncing knocking everyone else out.

It’s less “knocked out” than it is “having a seizure”.

They tell me it’s refreshing.

>Given the spires will likely lead directly to the core, though, you should take that chance.
>Well you're on a time limit. Take the risk for the faster route.
>Go for the fast route.

On my way, then.

>”Hey, a-you just gonna-“
>>
No. 575924 ID: af5864
File 140107963547.png - (211.56KB , 600x500 , backtopolokoa4.png )
575924

>”- AAHyes ok gottit!!”
>>
No. 575925 ID: af5864
File 140107965880.png - (124.08KB , 600x600 , backtopolokoa5.png )
575925

>>
No. 575926 ID: af5864
File 140107968813.png - (170.42KB , 600x600 , backtopolokoa6.png )
575926

>[Fwoof! Look at all this smoke.]
>[Exotic space-god machine-flesh, vaporized by green-hot plasma. Take a deep breath, savour those unknown metallic gases!]
>[Ok no do the opposite of that.]
>>
No. 575927 ID: af5864
File 140107973219.png - (268.84KB , 600x600 , backtopolokoa7.png )
575927

>[I’d say close your eyes too, but you already replaced them.]
>[Might want to not hang around too long, anyway.]

Since the ship’s shots seem to have cut into this thing more than blasted it apart, there’s less chance the attack blocked anything off. Good.

>Specifically, I'm thinking if you set off a big explosion at the top of the hole. Something that sets off a whole mess of pressure waves and vibrations, and then we burn an impressive amount of our parallel processing power to track those and use them to map the hole.
>make a more informed judgement.
>Don't forget to account for the spatial jiggerypokery going on if we're trying to scan the spire.

Here and now would be the time to do that, if you still want to. It seems less necessary than it did. Of course, if anything down there is still paying attention, doing that might also increase the chances it knows I’m coming.

>Well you're on a time limit.
>your ultramove is killing you.

>[Oh yes, that! We’ve got an estimate of the damage.]
>[The rate her body takes damage varies on how much she exerts herself without resting, and she kinda kept stopping to help some people…]
>[I brought out the meter anyway. Nice and easy to understand!]
>[Gosh, maybe take it a little less seriously?]
>[It’s fine, whatever! Right, when she gets down to, er, one heart, we’ll cut her off. Maybe one and a half.]
>[That’ll still leave her in pretty bad shape, so let’s get this solved before then.]
>>
No. 575932 ID: 2bfcdf

>>575927
It will also leave her unpowered, which means if we have to fight any more super-robots afterwards she'd probably just die anyway.

So let's get moving. Just go straight in, no explosions before entering. After entering, sure.

Times like these I bet you wish you had full-body armor for environmental sealing. Can you still do that with this weird pseudo-jetalium? Would you have an oxygen supply?
>>
No. 575995 ID: cf028c

Whoa, whoa, Full Stop. What the hell are those, hearts? This isn't some Fantasy crap, this is THE FUTURE! I demand a Megaman Style Lifebar!
>>
No. 575996 ID: 9a281a

>They tell me it’s refreshing.
...sure.

Every once in a while, we get a reminder of just how crazy you fuzzballs are. And this coming from the insane AI.

>oxygen supply?
Neumono can function for a surprisingly long time while holding their breath- Polo could do it for 45 minutes, Rokoa for 66 and a half. I'd imagine Polokoa is somewhere in that ballpark, unless this is one of those things her chimerism messed up, like her eyes. We also don't know how much physical activity cuts into the oxygen demand, or how much the Queen-sync might increase demand.

...I'd assume she can hold her breath long enough to make it past breathing in the vaporized metals and exotic material on the outer damage. If there's no breathable air inside though, we could conceivably have a problem.

>Since the ship’s shots seem to have cut into this thing more than blasted it apart, there’s less chance the attack blocked anything off. Good.
Well, that's encouraging.

>trying the explosion mapping thing might tip them off you're coming

>what do
In the light of better odds of not needing a map, and in the interest of not giving anything down there a chance to work against you (they could blow your entry, say, by trying to fire though the damaged 'barrel' of this gun) you're probably better off just going for it. If we come to an obstruction, we'll find a way to blow through that.
>>
No. 575997 ID: 9a281a

>>575995
But she's not a robot. And she actually has ten hearts.
>>
No. 576015 ID: b6178d

>>575996

Compromise, if she just so coincidentally has to blow stuff up on the way down we can do the scannymap thing then, since the element of surprise would already be lost.
>>
No. 576283 ID: cee89f

>>575923
I hope they mean afterwards >.>

>doing that might also increase the chances it knows I’m coming.

It's more important that we orient ourselves to get to the core as quickly as possible than it is to avoid a fight.

Also, you're a glowy ultraqueen who made every neumono on the asteroid collapse into a seizure and blew up several of its drones in less time than it takes to scratch your nose, [i]something tells me it knows you're coming.[/]
>>
No. 576285 ID: 2bfcdf

>>576283
It knows she's here, but not where.
>>
No. 576293 ID: cee89f

>>576285
Again, glowing. Stealth isn't much of an option for us at the moment.
>>
No. 576294 ID: 2bfcdf

>>576293
Line of sight is far sneakier than GIANT EXPLOSION.
>>
No. 576938 ID: f08e35

>>576294
There were giant explosions going off around and inside this very spire just a few minutes ago when it was being bombarded by the ship. Comparatively minor kaboom at this point might be mistaken for a submunition with a defective fuse, missile stuck partway up a launch tube, or some other delayed secondary effect from that attack.

Besides which, stealth is slow and we picked this route in the first place in order to go fast. Kick one of the walls hard enough to register on the Richter scale and keep moving; we'll figure out an echo-map on the way.
>>
No. 576977 ID: 2bfcdf

>>576938
Nobody's saying to sneak down there, we should just fucking go down there at speed without causing a huge explosion first. Whatever weapon we use will sound different from the ship's weapons.

This is a choice between going in normally, or causing a huge ruckus ahead of time that will almost certainly alert them to our presence in this specific location, but might give us a map which we probably don't need.
>>
No. 583872 ID: 1393ac
File 140514060989.png - (26.64KB , 600x600 , depthsentry1.png )
583872

>Times like these I bet you wish you had full-body armor for environmental sealing. Can you still do that with this weird pseudo-jetalium? Would you have an oxygen supply?

I can hold my breath, and the suit can cover my face. Also, after that atlanto fiasco, someone wrote a journal on how you could do some recycling inside my lungs and bloodstream with protojetalium micromachines. In theory. It wouldn’t make me self-sufficient, but it could extend my time without breathing.

>I'd assume she can hold her breath long enough to make it past breathing in the vaporized metals and exotic material on the outer damage.
>So let's get moving. Just go straight in, no explosions before entering. After entering, sure.
>you're probably better off just going for it.
>>
No. 583873 ID: 1393ac
File 140514065902.png - (73.31KB , 600x600 , depthsentry2.png )
583873

>If we come to an obstruction, we'll find a way to blow through that.
>>
No. 583874 ID: 1393ac
File 140514067882.png - (34.78KB , 600x600 , depthsentry3.png )
583874

>>
No. 583875 ID: 1393ac
File 140514069658.png - (50.15KB , 600x600 , depthsentry4.png )
583875

>>
No. 583876 ID: 1393ac
File 140514070883.png - (19.20KB , 600x600 , depthsentry5.png )
583876

>>
No. 583877 ID: 1393ac
File 140514072444.png - (90.03KB , 600x600 , depthsentry6.png )
583877

>>
No. 583878 ID: 1393ac
File 140514074391.png - (139.44KB , 600x600 , depthsentry7.png )
583878

>>
No. 583880 ID: 1393ac
File 140514076783.png - (94.85KB , 600x600 , depthsentry8.png )
583880

>[Looks like the archeologists cleared out.]
>[Or they were cleared out.]
>[No sign of a struggle, though.]
>[That makes it worse!]
>[Maybe they got bored. Record says they’ve been trying to figure this stuff out for ages.]
>[Nah, they wouldn’t do that! This is fascinating!]
>>
No. 583881 ID: 1393ac
File 140514080273.png - (214.39KB , 600x600 , depthsentry9.png )
583881

>[Look there. These consoles don’t even have buttons, best guess is there’s some electromagnetic manipulation of the internal mechanisms that the servitors use for access. But someone built an attachment to copy the effect. The door just wasn’t powered.]
>[”Someone”?]
>[Yes! We have no idea who built this or put this here. Its design seems very different from the rest of the elder machine technology. It’s advanced stuff, and there’s no way to tell how old it is. Zozo has all of the earliest records anyone has, and it was already here when they were written!]
>[How long have people been here, exactly?]
>[No-one knows! There were already a couple of crashed-ship colonies around when people started bothering to write stuff down. But no-one at that time should have had the materials to build this thing, let alone the know-how. They’ve been trying to make a copy and even now it’s hard going.]
>[So… ancient aliens?]
>[Aargh.]
>[Ancient robots, surely.]
>[Machine pride galaxy wide, brother!]

Can you make it work?
>>
No. 583882 ID: 1393ac
File 140514084113.png - (274.50KB , 600x600 , depthsentry10.png )
583882

>[Certainly. It’s an odd interface. There are no easy buttons, you have to stroke it and put pressure in the right places.]
>[That’s what he said.]
>[We can make it work fine. Just give us a moment.]
>>
No. 583884 ID: 1393ac
File 140514095278.png - (148.68KB , 600x600 , depthsentry11.png )
583884

'̻̺͉̪̝͉͊ͪ]͎;̦̲̘͈̺̦.̤̭͈̹ͤͣͦ§̮̝͚̳̻̊̐'̀ͭ̇

>[Looks like it’s actually… a…?]
>>
No. 583885 ID: 1393ac
File 140514101070.png - (90.02KB , 600x600 , depthsentry12.png )
583885

̟̤͈̤̗̬͌̈́ͨ͆̊\̮̳̉̍̓̃̍'̼-̔͛̅͆ͭ͗'̩̞̝̹͎ͅ`͕͔͕͖̰̪̌'͖̮̹̈.̺͈̉̄ͥ̌;̮͈̰̹̞̳̑ͭ̽ͅ|̠͓̃͛̉ͯ\͊̑ͣͩ~̲̝'͉̦̳̞ͣ̍.̞͎̺̌̚<͍̦͉̻̑ͣͨ̃+̜͓̞̐͆͌ͥ̊́̒/̦͂̒͌
>>
No. 583889 ID: 1393ac
File 140514146880.png - (174.09KB , 600x600 , depthsentry13.png )
583889

'ͯͯͣ;̎͊͆̂\͋.̏̎̃͐̚̚±͛H̏YͣBͨͨ̾̄ͦ̾ͦŔͦ̓̄͑͌Iͨ͋̅ͧϱ̾ͧ͆§͗'ͦͯ͋̔ͮͩͩ;̓̍͗̓̂ͬ.͑ͣ͑"̓̆ͩͯͪ \̫̙͖̖͙̖̦±̯̺̱'̻̼̺̹͈͔YO̺͙̺͕̪͙U͎̪̙ͅ A͈̯̻̹̺̞R̠̮̳̜̹E ͔AL͙͇͕̘W̹̯͚Ḁ̠̬̜̘̻Y̻̟̺̟̲S͉͙̙̖͈͔ ̫̗͍̻̟͙H̠̘E̮R͇͇̹̲E̺'̘͎̯̲͉̭/͙͎͔̠̯͕
>>
No. 583894 ID: 53ba34

shoot the core!
>>
No. 583896 ID: 2fd516

No, we're not supposed to shoot the core, that will cause a collapse! We're supposed to disconnect the core! Then the elder machine will be disabled so that we can evacuate and then destroy it at a safe distance.
>>583889
I can't see! Are we where we need to be, or is this a sideshow? May as well talk while moving. Tell it that if it knows you, it knows how unlikely it is that it will win.
>>
No. 583897 ID: 638a22

>hybrids! You are always here!
Yeah yeah yeah, juxtaposition, superposition, wave functions, all that jazz. Deal with it.

Someone get us a feed on our sensors, here. What are we seeing, or hearing, or whatever else?
>>
No. 583899 ID: dc4b80

Hey it remembers you from the other times you had to kill one of these things. Which means it might know your tricks. Can we get any readings on where it teleported us? Would be good to know if we are still in the asteroid.

Distract it with some talking and questions while we scan everything we can.
>>
No. 583911 ID: b6178d

Oh, hey, a portal.
>>
No. 583930 ID: 2fd516

>>583897
It's "Hybrid". Also no exclamation points.
>>
No. 583936 ID: cee89f

>>583889
"Wherever 'here' is. Should I remember you, or is this a non-linear spacetime thing?"

We can probably handle a physical attack, but be ready for mental assault as well. We don't know what this thing is capable of.
>>
No. 590347 ID: a78d40
File 140858156767.png - (144.66KB , 600x600 , downtocore1.png )
590347

>Shoot the core!
>we’re not supposed to shoot the core

We’re not at the core yet. It’s down there.

>Someone get us a feed on our sensors, here. What are we seeing, or hearing, or whatever else?

>[Not sure.]
>[Seems like a transmission across a lot of bands at once.]
>[But, chaotic. The intended message comes floating in a mess of garbled data fragments.]
>[Like, it can’t help broadcasting extra along with its words? It sounds almost, kinda… broken.]
>[We’ll try to clear up the signal.]

>May as well talk while moving
>>
No. 590348 ID: a78d40
File 140858194278.png - (227.74KB , 600x600 , downtocore2.png )
590348

>Distract it with some talking and questions while we scan everything we can.
>Yeah yeah yeah, juxtaposition, superposition, wave functions, all that jazz. Deal with it.
>"Wherever 'here' is. Should I remember you, or is this a non-linear spacetime thing?"

.ͭ̋ͥ̅ͦ̈͐T̐̾͐H̋͌̽̐ͥIS EXT͑̉͗̽ͬͫE͐ͫ̃̄̑ͩ̄Nͫ̆̔͊̓̀̍SION RḚ̞̤M̪̮E͓̩̣M̼̳̫B͎E̱̩̖̮R͈̯S ͍̻YO͚͇̳͇U. ALWA͒YS REME̮͉M̥̩͖̮͓̪ͅB͙̤̖̼E̜͙̥R͕̤̝͉S YOU

Hmm.

“If you ‘remember’ me, why is there nothing getting in my way?”

MEMORY IS D̳̹͍̤͈AM͈A̹͉͕̟̗̠̤G̗̰̤͕͔E̥̱̖͇ͅD͚.̤̮͈̫͉͔ HAS BEEN DAMAGED. WILL BE DAMAGED. IT REMȆM̔͋͐͊BERS THAT IT F͂̈ͨ́Ỏ͑̉ͬ͆ͩ̎R̓ͯ̑ͯG̊ͤ̈́̈́̄ͦET̂S̈ͤ̔. FORGETS THAT IT REMEMBERS. THIS ONE DOES N̞̗O̦̲̻T̼̙̣ NOTE UNTIL NOW. THE LESSER MACHINE DISTRACTS. Ṭ̟̘̩͇H̠̣̖͕̝̹͉R̳̺̪E͙E ̬̯̣̗͈B̯̖̲̦͕R͇͔̰̯̦̦͓I̮͉GH̬̹͉̱̥̪̥T̩͉̫ ̹̼͖̗Ḫ̯̭̯͚E̤̯̺A͖̭͇̰͙̗̪Ṛ̤̯TS̠̖

It seems that not using an explosion to echolocate a map for ourselves was a good idea.
>>
No. 590350 ID: a78d40
File 140858217690.png - (137.72KB , 600x600 , downtocore3.png )
590350

̿̉Y͗ͬ́ͦ̊Ö͂U̎̌̿ͯ͆̎̍ ̒̿̀ͦ̃CAME TO CONTROL T̈́̍̔̌̃H̋͛͂ͤͧ̚Ě S͑̒ͤ̓̃͂Y̔̒̂ͫSͨT̊̑ͬ̽̚E̍͛ͯMͯͯ̊̊̔. YOU WILL WANT TO S̖̰͈͔T̳̘̝̼̙͕͉O͓̪̣P̳͚͉̰͚̭͚ T̽̐ͣ̒ͧ̈HͧͧISͩ͑̽̂̓ͨ̚ ̇͂O̓ͧ̎ͣ̚P̽E̔͑R̆ĂT̽̆̔Iͤͬͣ̍̅Oͤͪ̍̂̅ͩ̚Ń̉ͦ

YOU S͔͉̠͍̪T̖̦̟͍O̳̱P̪̙̰͓̰P͎̥̙͚͉͕͕E̗̙̟̗͉͉̣D̞ IT, AND YOU WILL S̺̘̯T̖̪̬̩̦̻A̘͖R̙̳T ͉͇̲̠̱I͇̘̞͚͚͉̻T͉͉̪
>>
No. 590351 ID: a78d40
File 140858238323.png - (171.48KB , 600x600 , downtocore4.png )
590351

͂̄̄̈́̌EV̈́̚EͤͮR͌̄̌̓Y̍ͧ̋͗͛̓ ̈̇͐ͮͧMͣ̉̇ͮ̓̊̈O̍MEN̪̺T̥͇̹̣ IS A BEĜ̓INNIN͗̿ͤͬ̒̓G̈ͥ̒.͐ͫͭ̎ ͬ͋YȮ̃̐̏́̂Ǘͦ͊ͤ̅͋̄ D͕͈O N̎OͬTͭͫ̈͆ͪ ̍ͪͨ̄ͮU̽̅ͦͨͧN̅͆̇ͫDͧͥ͂̿É̾ͧ̐Rͫ͛STA͗̒N͑̉ͪ͋͊ͩD̋

>[The atmosphere down here is pretty thin.]
>[I know neumono have liters of lung capacity spare anyway, but take deep breaths, we’ll start pumping up the air pressure inside here.]
>[This probably isn’t the time to be wondering, but why is there breathable air down here at all?]
>[Up there.]
>>
No. 590352 ID: a78d40
File 140858248262.png - (271.80KB , 600x600 , downtocore4b.png )
590352

IT Dͥ̍Oͣ̉̍̀̉ͥ̑Ĕͩ̿̈́͛ͯS̏̋̃̋ NO̓̏͋͂̽̚Tͫ̑ ͦ̍͊̚MATTER

>[From the scan records we downloaded off the ship, the Elder Machine had a large aperture at its front. The asteroid’s atmosphere must have flowed down through.]
>[What, why didn’t we think to go that way, then?]
>[We would have had to circumnavigate over the asteroid’s surface.]
>[I think there’s some spacebending weirdness going on in here anyway, or did you not notice those columns look entirely different from down here than from where we came down? And the perspective in… wherever we are, it’s all weird.]
>[So, no guarantee that the seemingly direct route would have actually been direct, even if light and air seem to be coming down fine.]
>[Oh, shit!]
>[What?]
>>
No. 590353 ID: a78d40
File 140858261408.png - (167.74KB , 600x600 , downtocore5.png )
590353

YOU Ḍ͍̪͈E͇̺̲̮̯FË́̓̍͗̉A͊ͣ͋̏͑̐Tͣ͗ͤ̓̈̐̅.̔̄ IT IS I̽ͥ̇͌N͑ͫEͫͣͩ̄͂̈Vͨ͌İͪ͆̄T͊ͨͪ͗A͋̆̎̆̋̾͆BLE

>[We have no idea how big the space in here is. What if all the asteroid’s atmosphere eventually gets sucked down off the surface?]
>[Ooooh, that’s bad.]
>[It’ll take a while for the effect to spread over the whole asteroid, but at the very least there’s got to be some reeeeeeally turbulent weather building, up there.]
>[Better hurry up!]

Fine. We’re here. Advise me.
>>
No. 590354 ID: a78d40
File 140858276802.png - (115.63KB , 600x600 , downtocore6.png )
590354

YOU MU͂̉͆̾ͭ̔ST ̒̚BE STOPPED

The other Elder Machines were a lot smaller, and their power and control systems were bunched up, making it harder to disable just one part without setting off problems with the others; this one should be easy by comparison. The two pillars are part of the power system, the pedestal and the obelisk the centers of the control systems. That ‘mask’ is the center of its… conscious controls, if the theories are right. I knew I’d have to fight one of these things again at some point, so I paid attention to the discussion.

THI̽͋̉S EXTENSION C̻͚̪̬̬̞̺A̹̳NN͂ͨͤO̽́̾̒T͗̇̄͂ STOP YOU

If I can remove or destroy the mask without damaging the rest of the obelisk, that should leave its automatic systems able to run by themselves, instead of going wild and sucking the whole thing into another dimension. The control material, or whatever you want to call it, whatever the obelisk is made of, is pretty fragile, so…

THE O̭̠̠̝T̪H̼͈͔̭ER CAN

Wait, what?
>>
No. 590355 ID: a78d40
File 140858288571.png - (147.10KB , 600x600 , downtocore7.png )
590355

Aͭ͋̏̇͆̌N EͅQUAL AND ÓPP̃͑͌̄ͪOͩ̓S̄͊̓̂ḮTE RE͙͓͚̼̤̩ACTIOͪNͤͤ̅

I don’t like the sound of that.
>>
No. 590357 ID: a78d40
File 140858295144.png - (188.22KB , 600x600 , downtocore8.png )
590357

̈́̉̓̍T̂ͪ̑̂̔̂̍HE̐ͧͮ̄ͨͦ̽ ̏̑W̉͐AͯͨY͒͛̽̇ ͛ͧ̅̽͐̂̈́HAS BEEN CLEARED

I don’t like the look of that! I’ll-

>[Don’t get near it!!]
>>
No. 590358 ID: a78d40
File 140858298971.png - (138.29KB , 600x600 , downtocore9.png )
590358

>[It’s a one-way spacetime breach.]
>[Unknown type!]
>[Light filters on!]
>>
No. 590359 ID: a78d40
File 140858302496.png - (150.10KB , 600x600 , downtocore10.png )
590359

>>
No. 590360 ID: a78d40
File 140858305147.png - (121.65KB , 600x600 , downtocore11.png )
590360

”Oof!”
>>
No. 590361 ID: a78d40
File 140858329204.png - (145.07KB , 600x600 , downtocore12.png )
590361

Ḃͪ̒̔ͦ́̍Aͣͮ̌LͯA̍̓ͩN̾̀͒͐̓C̀̽̈͗ͪ̈̽Ë́ͤ̅̔͒ͮ̚ ̇͂ͤ͂̂̓͐I͑̏͑͋ͥS̈́ͥ ͩCOMPU̲̱L̯͔͇SORY. CONFLICT, REQUIRED. THE BREADTH O͌̆͑̓̋͒̅Fͩ̂͋͂͆ ̾͆̾̅ͣ̂̈́TOͬ̀T͛ͥ̀́̏AͩLÎ͗ͨ͂̿̚T̈́̾ͭY̅͂̊̅̇̽ PROVIDES

THE H̿͑ͤ͋͊̚YͭͩBRI͔̭̞̦̜D TO THE HYBRIͨD

ͮT͐IMͤͩͣ̚E-SPANNED S̺̮͇͉͚̩̝E͎̲̰̭̬̺̬L͎̰F̱͍͔̩ ̲͉̪̭̦̭ͅAGAINST ̳͎S͍̦ͅE̥̠L̪F̗̬̤̺̲̗ͅ
>>
No. 590362 ID: a78d40
File 140858350319.png - (128.46KB , 600x600 , downtocore13.png )
590362

YOU Sͯͮͨ̋ͦ̚H͑̔̅̃Ā̈̊LL̓ CLASH

̎͑̍ͭͮ͒̒Ẏͥ̔O̊͋̋́U SHAL̳̠̬̪L WEA͕͍K͈Ȅ̎̐̄ͦN

͒͆́ͣ̀T͒̑͛́HIS SYSTEM WILL REGA͈I̲͕͈̻̺̗N͈͕͇̘ ̗͕̭̖̜̭POWEͬͩ͐̋ͬ̿ͮR̙̤

AND T͚͍H̹E̩̬̞̫̜̳̬ ̮̩͖͕͙T̞̳I̳̦͇̠͎̜ͅM̥̯̮E̲̲̲ ̳̱̜̻̜COMES THA̯̼T
>>
No. 590363 ID: a78d40
File 140858364362.png - (233.67KB , 600x600 , downtocore14.png )
590363

>>
No. 590372 ID: a78d40
File 140858401516.png - (131.06KB , 600x600 , downtocore15.png )
590372

”Idiot space gods. Who wants to do anything that helps you?”
>>
No. 590374 ID: a78d40
File 140858412741.png - (172.83KB , 600x600 , downtocore16.png )
590374

>>590364
>>
No. 590382 ID: b651f5

The machine is dead, so I guess at this point we just hope that it isn't dead enough to vanish.
>>
No. 590386 ID: 2fd516

>>590374
Maybe it's time you turned off your mega-suit so it stops killing you. I mean, the core's busted now, right?

Wait doesn't this mean it'll implode? Are we dead now?
>>
No. 590390 ID: 1f2a28

>>590386
>>590382
I think that was just the control module, which was what she was going to use to steer this thing.
>>
No. 590396 ID: cee89f

>>590372
"Well, congratulations. You single-handedly doomed us all. Aren't you supposed to be the SMART one?!"

(also, can WE airbend? I don't remember that feature...)
>>
No. 590426 ID: 487455

...god damnit, I was all prepped for a final boss core Kaiju battle and now I gotta do a mirror match instead?

Also, looks like that thing didn't remember very well at all.

Also, berate the dummy for ruining everything. Have you forgotten how to snipe? Instead of shooting the core and lobotomizing it nice and passive, you blew off the whole head and now we've got a crazy headless space chicken-god!
>>
No. 590428 ID: dc4b80

Well I am all for ignoring your counterpart and booking it if possible.

Unless you think you can get up on that pillar and attach us to the broken off end. We might be able to sync with its systems and get things under control. Would be a better option than this whole place going tits up and exploding. Would lose most the people up top if something big happens.

I know you want to slap your sister around until she walks funny but remember we have people to save here first and sweaty naked clone fights second. And you know we really hate saying that.
>>
No. 590429 ID: 2fd516

>>590390
It is, but the control systems being destroyed is what caused the other elder gods to collapse.

Unless that's wrong? Maybe the power systems cause the collapse, and because they were interlinked in the other two elder gods, an outside observer had no way of knowing what was the cause.

Well, in either case... Polokoa, the suit was able to interface with the gate that brought us here. Maybe the suit can also interface with the control monolith.
>>
No. 590447 ID: 256d52

OK, everything's about to go crazy and get sucked into a dimensional rift unless...! If you and Rokolo both fire your Friendship Beams into the rift you should be able to close it without destroying the universe!

Grind those Polo Points, stat!
>>
No. 590448 ID: 321d85

>>590396
>>590426
I'm thinking we should not goad these two into fighting. These two get in a fight, and we can kiss this sector of space goodbye.
>>
No. 590489 ID: cee89f

>>590448
Also, it's entirely possible Rokolo has a different set of Polo/Rokoa abilities than Polokoa, given that in her universe Polo basically turned evil, iirc
>>
No. 590499 ID: 2fd516

>>590489
She's not evil, she's just morally flexible!
>>
No. 590500 ID: 0ee153

>>590499
Yeah, morally. Anyway, sex jokes aside, scream at her a bit for ruining the controls, deactivate the suit, and start looking for shit to hijack.
>>
No. 590530 ID: b6178d

I suggest something along the lines of rage later, practical think now. Maybe ad-lib something along these lines:

"This asteroid will explode, dimensionally, soon now. Why doesn't really matter, but there are many people on it. I don't want them on it when the asteroid goes. You help evacuate, we get you off this rock with the others. You don't, you stick around for the event horizon."
>>
No. 590567 ID: 487455

>>590448
Like anything other than goading is remotely possible. Goading was basically 90% of Polo and Rokoa's relationship and now we've got double of both of them.

But no, that doesn't have to lead to an actual fight-fight. No time for that, really.

>>590489
We know they're different actually. Polokoa flat out stated Rokolo has skills she doesn't in an itq. (Because Rokolo went the dart-chimera route. She got to do the time-compressed dream-memory internal vision quest crazy training thing, and Polokoa didn't).
>>
No. 591175 ID: 742a1e

Polokoa, you need to hear this.

Rokolo is going to try making out with you.

THIS IS NOT A BAD THING.
>>
No. 593197 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014243659.png - (120.48KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract1.png )
593197

“Hey, Polokoa! It’s been a long time! Sorry if I stepped on your toes, there, that thing was pissing me off. But I feel better for seeing your bright, smiling face.”

The belt pouch!

She’s got those damn things with her!!

>Rokolo is going to try making out with you.

This is not the time!!!
>>
No. 593198 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014247892.png - (189.39KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract2.png )
593198

“Hands away from the cards!!”

“Woah! Sure, sure. I wasn’t going anywhere near them, don’t worry.”

>Also, berate the dummy for ruining everything.

“Do you know what you’ve done!?!”

“Calm your relatively modest tits, sis! I know how these things work. More than you do, obviously.”
>>
No. 593199 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014252377.png - (209.30KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract3.png )
593199

>I know you want to slap your sister around until she walks funny but remember we have people to save here first and sweaty naked clone fights second.

But… grrrgh.

“… I don’t trust you.”

“No, you think I’ve still got a grudge against you, that’s all.”

That, and she has all of Polo’s pragmatism and cunning, mixed with all of Rokoa’s willingness to just plow past everything in her way when she’s decided what she’s aiming for. She’s a domineering, manipulative thug when she has a reason to be.

“Yes, I was really mad at you last time we parted ways, but that was just because of the ‘foiling my plans’ thing. I mean, you basically cubed the time it’s going to take me to get my whole life’s work done, and seriously endangered me pulling it off at all, but I don’t hold on to feelings like that! I look forward. I deal with the future. Biases just get in the way of being rational, and I know you were doing what you thought (to the best of your ability) was best. You always do. But honestly, I really am actually happy to see you! Glad to see you’re still doing well. And using singular personal pronouns, now, like a big girl chimera! Good for you, sister.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Oh, come on. Why not?”

“Because if we’re sisters, then Rokoa and Polo are our parents, and that’s… weird and awful.”

“Ha! That’s Polo talking. Seriously, we feel at least like hivemates. And properly so! More than the weird half-hive feeling I get from Polo or Rokoa’s old crews, and I bet you’re the same, fancy hive hostility dampening empathy of yours notwiths-“

Immanent destruction, Rokolo! This thing is lodged in the middle of an asteroid that has people living on it, and they can’t get away because the only ships they have are ones that crashed here!”

“Fine, fine! I’ve got it. That place, huh? Well, you relax and let your big sister take care of it.”

What!?
>>
No. 593200 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014256769.png - (210.86KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract4.png )
593200

”I am both larger and older than what am I saying?? What are you going to do. And how do you know these things?”

“Me and my CAI are going to hack in using my suit, of course. Don’t tell me the idea didn’t occur to you.”

>Unless you think you can get up on that pillar and attach us to the broken off end. We might be able to sync with its systems and get things under control.
>Polokoa, the suit was able to interface with the gate that brought us here. Maybe the suit can also interface with the control monolith.
>start looking for shit to hijack.

“… I was going to suggest it.”
>>
No. 593201 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014260951.png - (198.82KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract5.png )
593201

“As for how I know them, I encountered a couple during my expeditions through the multiverse. These guys are escapees from some sort of machine-god prison dimension. Or they’re smaller parts of a singular prisoner, I dunno. Might be something to do with the time cops’ bosses. They escape, sometimes, and they find places to hide in low-probability dimensions that are closer to the edge of reality. Like yours!”

“Don’t start that again. I’m not inferior just because my timeline is ’unrealistic’. How did you manage to study them? The ones I met before disappeared when they were put down.”

“Yeah, that’s because they still have a connection to their prison. They have to put out a bit of energy constantly to keep themselves from being pulled back in, and it needs to be regulated. When you damage their control center, the energy builds up too much, the power cores rupture themselves, and then the whole thing gets sucked back out of whatever dimension they’re in. I managed to study a piece of one because I ripped it off and isolated it before that happened. I also downloaded some info on them from that dimension with the unbroken belenosian space empire. Now, that was an unstable timeline.”

“So, it’s not because of your… particular expertise. Good.”

“What, are you still on about that?”

I am going to take the chance I didn’t have before and give her a severe talking to when we get out of here.
>>
No. 593202 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014266050.png - (260.92KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract6.png )
593202

”What about you, cavorting all over the place with salikai of all people? That’s dirty data as well.”

“Salikai aren’t actually that bad once you’re used to them. They’re really just a bunch of huge nerds. If you just let them have their nerd toys, be prepared for when they go a little nutty, and keep something shiny in reserve to distract them with if you need to, they’re fine.”

“What the shit, Polokoa.”

“I know a lot of the things salikai have done in the past seem unforgivable, but it’s not totally their fault. They were primitives as much as we were. Worse, really.”

“What??”

Well, here’s a speech I’ve given before.

“Technology isn’t the only way to be advanced. You need to have culture. All the myths and legends and stories and things, they’re not just for entertainment, they teach people how to be people. They tell you how to deal with being angry, or scared, how to treat your friends and your enemies. They give you examples of things to aspire to, pits to avoid falling into, ways that you can hurt yourself without meaning to. Compared to everyone else, salikai are bad at passing that stuff on to their kids, so most of them have to learn it the hard way, if they ever do.”

“Hmm. And does that bit of philosophy have something to do with you setting yourself up as this big badass legendary demigod queen?”

“… Forget it. So, you just need to stop this thing from overloading?”

“Yep. Had to blow up the top half of its brain here so that its immune system wouldn’t be such a bother. It’ll repair itself eventually, though, once imploding’s off the table. The overload’s already started, but I’ve got an idea where to put the energy.”

“Where wo- actually hold on. This thing repairs itself?”

“Yes. More like it grows itself back, actually. Haven’t quite figured that one out yet.”

“So this is going to keep being a problem. We can’t destroy it completely so long as anyone’s still living on it, but if we leave it it’ll just wake up again one day. Grh, I’ll have to set up some weird secret guard, it’ll end up as some sort of ancient sealed evil prophecy…”

“That sounds pretty cool to me! But no, I’ve solved that problem for you, too.”
>>
No. 593203 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014270930.png - (192.42KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract7.png )
593203

“You have.”

“Same solution that’s going to get rid of all the extra power.”

“Which is?”

“I’m gonna send it back in time!”

“… What.”
>>
No. 593204 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014276363.png - (155.92KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract7b.png )
593204

“You don’t think this asteroid only exists in this dimension because the Elder Machine’s here, do you? My dimension has one as well. Most of them I’ve been to do. And it’s actually supposed to be a real asteroid! Rocks and ice! Some weird qualities, still a castaway thing going on, space mysteries, but no ancient interdimensional alien robots!”

“Wait, why did you emphasize it like tha-“

“This Elder Machine replaced the core of the asteroid when it got here. I know that, because I’m going to be the one who sends it back to do so! At the same time, I’ll bring the core from then back to now, to take back its old place.”

“… What??”

“I’m going to send the Elder Machine back in time to become itself in the past!!

“…”

“It’ll repair itself over time, regain it’s energy slowly, and eventually reach the state it was in when you found it and it was woken up! At which point it summons me, I blow its brains out and send it back in the same event. This event, now, the one we’re living. You can think of it as us having been here and done this an endless number of times, but that’s really just wrong.”
>>
No. 593205 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014281052.png - (191.55KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract8.png )
593205

“But… you just said it came from a prison dimension.”

“It did.”

“But you’re going to send it back to come here, from here!”

“Technically ‘now’ rather than ‘here’. It’s not going anywhere in space, though that’s obviously not counting its orbits arou-“

“That makes no sense!”

“Makes more sense than your teleporting coiffure.”

“My what?”

“Nothing. Heh. You think in such three-dimensional terms.”
>>
No. 593206 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014284750.png - (201.99KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract9.png )
593206

“How small you’ve beco-oof!”

“No nerd quotes.”

“How do you know it’s a quote, then?”

“I inherited Rokoa’s natural bully senses, so I can smell nerdery. And your plan’s still nonsense.”

“From a linear perspective, of course it is! You have to think along a perpendicular timeline as well. It’s always been here going through its loop for eternity now, but it hasn’t always always been here.”

“But you can’t do that. I had to tell people this about three hundred times, you can’t actually change the past. If you go back in time, you either find yourself taking part in a stable self-creating time loop, or you split the timeline and create another alternate dimension to accommodate your changes.”

“Obviously we can’t change the past like that, we’re creatures that live inside time! The Elder Machine is a nonlinear being, it comes from a dimension external to all of our timelines. So, normal cause and effect don’t need to apply. But hey, if you want a reason it’s here that makes sense to you… it’s because of you.”

“You’re telling me I’m the reason it’s here?”

“Well, the Elder Machine wouldn’t have brought me here if you weren’t here. And the Elder Machine wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t here to send it back to become itself. You’re the only external trigger factor in this time loop, so… yes! This thing wouldn’t be here if you weren’t here, conversely it is here because you’re here. Good job!”

Ugh.

“… Just concentrate on what you’re doing. I’ll watch for servitors. Make the swap smooth so there aren’t any more quakes, and set a delay so we can get out.”

“Obviously. Try not to die!”

“I’m fine.”

>[Hey, now we have a moment, we can vent your lungs a bit.]

What? Wait, do-
>>
No. 593207 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014288616.png - (216.82KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract10.png )
593207

“Huaghk!”

Argh. What have I told you about humorously undercutting me?

>Maybe it's time you turned off your mega-suit so it stops killing you.

No. Like I said, I have to watch in case any of those smaller machines can still come cause trouble. At the point I’ve reached, I don’t think I could get this working again if I turned it off. Besides, I still don’t trust Rokolo. If I let down my guard for a second, she might try to pull somethi-
>>
No. 593208 ID: 4f21e6
File 141014292199.png - (227.89KB , 600x600 , rokolointeract11.png )
593208

Hold on.

Her empathy… flickered, for a moment.

She’s hiding something from me.
>>
No. 593221 ID: 094283

>>593208
don't worry, it's probably just her hidden forbidden undying lesbian love for you
>>
No. 593222 ID: 01745f

I would suspect that she was just stealing the core rather than actually sending it back in time, but the whole "Hybrids you are always here" thing seems to corroborate that part of the story.
If we did fight her to stop her from whatever her plan is would we actually be able to fix the disappearance thing without her?
>>
No. 593230 ID: 0ee153

She's going to try and use it to travel to other timelines again. Bet you anything you like.
>>
No. 593235 ID: 2fd516

>>593208
Of course she is. Tell her to spill the beans, or else you'll have your CAI hack into hers and find out directly. Also, what do her cards do exactly? What is she capable of?

Hey, maybe she can find out while hacking the Elder Machine what it did to the ship. We would kindof like to avoid the death of our new friends.
>>
No. 593237 ID: 8b533b

>What have I told you about humorously undercutting me?
That you don't want us to. But we both know Polo's ever-present prankster is still ticking away in some corner of your mind and appreciates it.

So... since you're of two minds, we'll take the tiebreaker and pick the funnier option.

>Rokolo's 'particular expertise'
What was that again? Cloning? Not sure how that relates to extradimensional machine space-god horrors...

>sisters
Out of curiosity, does any of that needling actually hit home? I mean, I assume she's not lying about the empathy. And there's no part of you hive / family wasn't important to you. And there's really no one closer related to you than an alternate version of yourself.

Granted she's a terribly behaved little monster, but your whole thing is about redeeming people from monsters, aren't you? How's she any different than the other people and species you've reached out to?

>She’s hiding something from me.
She can do that, too, can't she? The whole clone-dart training. Fine control of silence.

Problem is, you can't. So she's going to know you know in a moment.

Which means you might as well cut through the bullshit and just ask / demand "What."
>>
No. 593290 ID: 323980

>>593237
>Rokolo's 'particular expertise'
>>What was that again?

Rokolo is highly promiscuous.
>>
No. 593291 ID: 323980

>>593237
>Problem is, you can't. So she's going to know you know in a moment.
Wrong. She can use empathic silence, but it is illegal by Supreme Court order.
>>
No. 593304 ID: 8b533b

>>593291
You misunderstood to what I was referring to. Yes, Polokoa can silence her empathy- but she doesn't have fine control. It's all or nothing. She can't choose to silence individual thoughts. She never had a clone dart battle, so she never picked up that particular trick.
>>
No. 593374 ID: cee89f

>>593208
>She’s hiding something from me.
Thank you again, High Queen Obvious! In other news, grass is green, birds fly, and you both have tiny voices in your head that want to fondle your tits.

Jokes aside, in all likelihood, she wants something from the elder machine. Her plan is (essentially) to trap it in a stable time loop, but she also said that its parts would grow back over time. Meaning she can probably take something small and/or study it without messing up that loop.

But we [b]can't[b] deal with that right now. The Elder Machine wants you two to brawl. So you need to work together at least until it goes away. At that point we'll probably have to call in back-up - you're in no shape to fight your clone.
>>
No. 595506 ID: c4fa14
File 141152175529.png - (202.66KB , 600x600 , chewout1.png )
595506

>Of course she is.
>Jokes aside, in all likelihood, she wants something from the elder machine.
>She's going to try and use it to travel to other timelines again.
>you might as well cut through the bullshit

“Rokolo! Are you trying to find out how to travel between dimensions again!?”

“Of course I am! I need to get back home eventually, don’t I? What did you think we’d do?”

“I was going to call the Time Police and ask them to take you back! You think I’d give you pass to go back to screwing up other timelines again!?”

“Come on! The Time Cops are dicks, they don’t have the right to lock me in my own dimension based on their stupid laws. “Contaminating the multiverse with the influences of a parasitic energy being”, rrgfh! First, it is entirely symbiotic, and second, nulla poena sine lege certa, damn it!”

“Their rules aren’t my problem and you know it!”

>If we did fight her to stop her from whatever her plan is would we actually be able to fix the disappearance thing without her?

Unless you’ve figured out whatever weird code the Elder Machine’s systems are based on, and how to use it, then probably not. Rokolo said she studied, and had access to studies of, these things before now. We haven’t.

>Out of curiosity, does any of that needling actually hit home?

Rrrrrrrgh. I can’t deny the empathic connection. And I can’t say it would be inaccurate to think of us as sisters. But it’s weird and horrible! She’s horrible!

>Granted she's a terribly behaved little monster, but your whole thing is about redeeming people from monsters, aren't you?
>The Elder Machine wants you two to brawl. So you need to work together at least until it goes away.

… Fine. Okay. You’re right. I don’t want to fight her. I’ll listen to her, and try to talk her down from her… plans.

“Right, yes. Ok. I… interfered with the timelines I visited. I left some mess behind…”

“Mess!? People died!!

“It’s not my fault! I wanted to just get what I was after and move on! If they had just been helpful, when I asked them, then I could have made things a lot smoother! Any secondary trouble that came from the aftermath of me having to do things the hard way, because they didn’t listen to someone who has an important job to do, is their fault!”

Their fault!? For not listening!?”
>>
No. 595508 ID: c4fa14
File 141152180161.png - (200.76KB , 600x600 , chewout2.png )
595508

>What was [Rokolo's 'particular expertise’] again?

“Oh, hello Polo and-or Rokoa! You don’t know me, but I’m partly an alternate version of you from another dimension, and I would like to ask you for a favour! If you would be so kind, could you possibly allow me-“
>>
No. 595510 ID: c4fa14
File 141152183460.png - (226.39KB , 600x600 , chewout3.png )
595510

“- to subject you to a horrifically torturous and invasive surgery, in which I will extract chunks of your brain, then render it down and inject it into myself so that the robots who live inside me can help me integrate it into my own mind, thereby allowing me to gain all of your personal memories and skills!!

How could they refuse!?

“Look, I’ve improved the extraction procedure a lot.”
>>
No. 595512 ID: c4fa14
File 141152190003.png - (104.23KB , 600x600 , chewout4.png )
595512

“It’s only a little torturous now.”

“Anyway, yes, ok, when you put it that way, it sounds a little crazy, but not if you know the whole story! If they knew all the facts, they’d have worked with me. I know because I know all the facts and I’m working with me, and I am them! Partly. They’d know the price is worth the result!”

“The result. The end justifies the means. As ever.”

“It does!”

Ugh. I have half a suspicion already, but I suppose now is when I ask her what this all-consuming goal actually is.
>>
No. 595519 ID: 2fd516

>>595512
Wait, she needs chunks of their brains? Um, why doesn't she just cut off an arm and use that? Decentralized brains, you know... That's not that bad an experience for a Neumono soldier.

Don't get too focused on the argument, now. You can't let yourself get ambushed. Get her to tell you what's going on while you keep an eye out. Also, ask her why she didn't just tell the alternate Polos and Rokoas about her big plan so that they could in fact make an informed decision and agree to the procedure like she expects them to.
>>
No. 595528 ID: d90668

For a species with so much empathy you two are sure crappy at understanding each other.

Put yourself in her shoes for a second. One or two tiny changes in your life and you would be her instead. Maybe her methods are a bit over the top but don't pretend you would not do something similar if you thought it was worth it.

So at least try to listen to her before judging her life. Its sad that the two loneliest sisters in the world can not at least try to be friends.
>>
No. 595567 ID: 8b533b

What do those cards of hers do last time anyways? Can't remember. Must have quarantined the data or it selectively corrupted itself.

>But it’s weird and horrible! She’s horrible!
Welcome to family. That's how it works. You fuzzballs kind of luck out, most the time, since hive-structure allows a lot of cheating around that.

>Fine. Okay. You’re right. I don’t want to fight her. I’ll listen to her
...and your resignation to try is immediately followed by her saying something provocative. >>595528 Is right. For all your empathy and supposed similarities, you two sure are crappy at picking up on the other at all.

Even though you both thought "I don't want to fight her" at practically the same time, you're still fighting. Sheesh.

>>595510
Wait. Um, shit. ...is she the reason you ended up as you? Ripped the two of you apart, and the salikai and science hivers stitched what was left together?

>Wait, she needs chunks of their brains? Um, why doesn't she just cut off an arm and use that? Decentralized brains, you know.
Presumably the surgery is because she wants specific bits of brain. If you just take an arm, you're getting a random sampling of what happens to be stored in that portion of the drive. No guarantee you get access to all of what you want, even with redundant storage.

>I have half a suspicion already, but I suppose now is when I ask her what this all-consuming goal actually is
Might as well. No need to waste your time bleeding out when we could get to the point.
>>
No. 595652 ID: cee89f

>>595519
She needs as much brain matter as possible so she can get their entire skillsets. EX: Take Rokoa's arm and you might get the needle trick, but you won't get the century+ of combat experience.

>>595512
If you ACTUALLY believed that you would've TOLD them the whole story. You didn't. So... f$#@ you, quasi-sistah.

On a side note, i noticed that in addition to the obvious difference in Rokolo's expression and the mental image Polokoa gets that Rokolo doesn't, Polokoa has slightly more blood leaking out of her face in the Rokolo thread than her own. It's a nice touch.
>>
No. 599688 ID: 2b5958
File 141455891781.png - (146.46KB , 600x600 , timeloopholes1.png )
599688

>So at least try to listen to her before judging her life.
>Get her to tell you what's going on
>Might as well. No need to waste your time bleeding out when we could get to the point.
>For all your empathy and supposed similarities, you two sure are crappy at picking up on the other at all.

If she wasn’t so similar to me I wouldn’t be getting so agitated. Believe me, I’m trying.

“Alright, I’ll explain. I’m going to tone myself down and be real for a moment, all right? It’s not something I do for just anyone. What I ultimately want is… how do I get this understood…?

This had better be good.

“I’ll try from the beginning. After I’d… settled, enough to be functional, obviously the first thing I did was deal with my salikai. That left me with a lot on my hands, their facilities, the CAIs, the science hive, a pack of Rokoa clones, a leftover scraping of Rokoa’s former hive, and… eh, a big pile of things, technology and research and resources, I don’t need to list everything. But there I was, brain fresh and sparkling, CAIs and neumono nerds jabbering on about all this science, and I had a hard time getting any of it. I was smart, but I had none of the education, so the first thing I decided was that I needed to fix that. Of course, that was going to be a huge waste of time, so I figured out a way around it.”

“I told off some Rokoa clones to each spend a few years studying a different field with the science hive. Of course, they hated it, but I made sure they knew I was in charge. I spent that time building myself up more, pulled a few heists, doesn’t matter. What does matter is, at the end of that first round, I used the neural extraction and integration techniques that had helped create me to copy their knowledge to myself. Of course, they were Rokoas, so it took twelve years to give them about eight years of education, but there were ten of them. By copying their memories to myself, I gained eighty years of education in just twelve! So of course I did it again, with more Rokoas, but in the meantime I went ahead and got started looking into all this technology I’d acquired. I’m going to skip over a few years, but what I got to, eventually, was messing around with warp technology. What I was specifically trying to get to was a kind of site-to-site teleporter. I did eventually manage it, but in the process I ended up… not exactly teleporting things to my own dimension, one hundred percent of the time.”

“Obviously, when something that interesting happens by accident, you look for how to do it deliberately. That was how I started looking into other dimensions; it wasn’t long before we were able to aim better, and look specifically into other timelines. There were all sorts of useful things you could find out that way, you know? Everything secret or hidden in the world had to have gotten outed in some other version of events. So I kept looking. So… I kept seeing other ways things went… ways things could have gone, and…”


I think we’re getting somewhere.

“And what made my timeline different. And why. And…”

“And?”
>>
No. 599690 ID: 2b5958
File 141455906096.png - (156.47KB , 600x600 , timeloopholes2.png )
599690

“… this isn’t important either. Bad explanation, the history doesn’t matter. You need to hear what it is I’m going to do. And what I’m going to do is good! The best!!”

Oh for… She felt actually vulnerable for a moment, there.
>>
No. 599691 ID: 2b5958
File 141455909293.png - (202.19KB , 600x600 , timeloopholes3.png )
599691

If I want to persuade her to give this up, I need to know what it is motivating her, personally. There was something important there, but she skipped over. Like she was afraid to think about it.

>[Some kind of trauma, experienced at the point of exposure to the magnitude of the multiverse? Sounds familiar.]
>[The Time Police told us. Potentiality Shock, they called it.]
>[When you see what you’re really capable of. Or could have been capable of.]

Not a problem I ever had, but I remember.

“It’s a little complicated to explain - right, do you know how just a minute ago, you said you couldn’t change history, only take part in a self-fulfilling time loop, or create a new timeline if you do manage to change something, leaving the original in place? And I said yes, that’s true for inhabitants of linear timespace? That’s all generally true! But that’s the simple version, like when you tell kids ‘oh rainbows are from sunlight off raindrops the same way as prisms”. Like most science, the real thing is more complicated and detailed, and I need to explain it because it’s the key to the whole plan! You see, it’s not changing history that causes the timeline to split - it’s the paradox!”

“By going back in time and changing the past, you alter the circumstances that caused you to go back in time in the first place, generally because you no longer have a reason to want to go back in time. Therefore, you can’t have gone back and changed history, which means you didn’t, which means there isn’t anything stopping you, so you do, so there is, so you didn’t, so you do, but you don’t! It creates an unmanageable contradiction, and the only way the universe can accommodate it is by shunting the problem into another timeline! That way, there’s space for the new events, while the original events remain in place, just elsewhere. It’s actually fascinating, it’s not predestined or anything. The timeline temporarily exists in a sort of state of superposition, so if you end up being stable it settles and becomes normal, but if you do change things the timeline rupture actually extends all the way back to when you arrived in the past, retroactively!”

“So, the reason why a being outside linear spacetime can manipulate history without causing that is, they can perceive and interact with multiple points along the timeline at once! They change the past, and adjust later events at the same time, so that the chain of events still makes sense.”

>>
No. 599692 ID: 2b5958
File 141455913517.png - (204.08KB , 900x600 , timeloopholes4.png )
599692

“The consequence of that is, you can change history! So long as the chain of events is still cohesive, so long as everything looks the same up until the point where you went back in time in the first place, then there’s no paradox and no new timeline gets split off to make sure things make sense, because they do already!”

“If someone is killed, and you wanted to change history to bring them back to life… you can! You just need to be clever! If you could make an empty clone body of them, make it look exactly the same, maybe create some simple bio AI to pilot the body a little, have that die in their place, and take them back to the future with you without leaving anything for anyone to notice… then it works! Because you tricked yourself into thinking they died, you still decided to go back in time and save them, so you do! So they’re alive!!”

That’s what I’m going to do!!

>>
No. 599693 ID: 2b5958
File 141455916503.png - (93.95KB , 600x600 , timeloopholes5.png )
599693

“I’ll bring them back. No - make it so that they never died at all! All of them. Polo, and Rokoa, they both chose to be fighters, took the responsibility… and they failed. But they won’t have failed, they never did fail, so long as I succeed! All I have to do is go back, fake all the evidence and bring them all back to the future with me before it goes wrong!!”

“And I don’t have to stop there. Polo never really lost anyone before then, but Rokoa… I can go further back. I can do the same thing, it’ll be far easier, dealing with primitives, people lost on hunting trips, washed down rivers, buried, eaten… every member of her hive, every cousin, every sibling, every friend or lover, every child… everyone she was supposed to look after but couldn’t… It’ll have just been an illusion. I can make it so that it was just a con!!”


What… Her empathy is going crazy!

“And then… Polokoa, I’ll do it for you, too, I’ll help you do the same! And my CAI, and yours! And more! We can keep on going, timeline to timeline, history to alternate history, with every possible instance of ourselves, one at a time, forever, we can do it! Resources aren’t an issue, we can always take more from some timeline where they haven’t been tapped yet! And time!! We’ll never run out of time, we have time machines - and immortality, agelessness at least, it’s piss easy!! Fuck, Rokoa could have been immortal by just replacing her body parts from younger neumono!!”
>>
No. 599694 ID: 2b5958
File 141455920992.png - (692.31KB , 1200x600 , timeloopholes6.png )
599694

“Polokoa… my time-split sister… That’s the plan. That’s what we came up with, me and my CAI, that’s what’s driven us in everything, the whole single purpose of my life ever since I realized…!”

“… We can save everyone!!

>>
No. 599695 ID: 2b5958
File 141455924114.png - (99.71KB , 600x600 , timeloopholes7.png )
599695

We can fix- nnh!”
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No. 599696 ID: 2b5958
File 141455926821.png - (110.06KB , 600x600 , timeloopholes8.png )
599696

“… hnnh.”

… And now it’s not.
>>
No. 599697 ID: 2b5958
File 141455929778.png - (111.88KB , 600x600 , timeloopholes9.png )
599697

“… it’ll be difficult. Logistics. Cloning. Stealth. Precision above all, in the time travel, the timing, the execution. The deception. It needs to be perfect. So I need to be perfect. That’s why I started traveling, taking knowledge and experience from other versions of us. Because I need all fields mastered, every bit of potential fulfilled. I won’t take any risk that there’s something, anything I don’t know, that’ll make it all fall apart.”

…?

“I don’t want to make people suffer; not them especially. But it doesn’t matter how much trouble I cause. Once I’ve fixed everything in my timeline, I’ll be free, and I’ll have the time and the power to pay back any karmic tab you could ever put my name to.”

That was… a lot to take in.
>>
No. 599700 ID: d3be40

Okay, take a few minutes to realize what you're REALLY doing here.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great plan. According to some of the history from alternate timelines that I've looked at, people HAVE been doing this. One guy was able to switch a robot with his insane body-double in a geothermal nuclear cannon incident. Two girls saved themselves and their parents and lived to tell the tale for a hundred thousand years. Almost everyone in the local multiverse who has lost someone has wanted, even for a few nanoseconds of thought processes, to bring them back from the dead, and sometimes, yes, they do come back, even without time travel!

But after you're done with death, what the HELL are you going to do with your life?

Power corrupts. The thing is, corruption is a necessary part of life. Some part of us needs to die in order for us to change or evolve. The part of you that was weak needs to die if it gets in your way. The team member needs to let their selfishness die a little to work in a group. But say you kill your own mortality, and any sense of loss or grief that you've ever had.

You would likely go insane from the boredom.

It wouldn't even have to be boredom: if it ever gets easy to resurrect the dead, you would just as soon start killing people because you would know that you could just bring them back later. You would have power over life and death like a goddess, but without consequence, without pain or suffering, there would be nothing that could hold you back from thinking "You can do anything you want - good or evil". You might hold out against the temptation for BILLIONS of years - but then? One little voice in your mind telling you to be free and have fun ragdolling that one moron, and nothing would stop you from believing that it was right. And since you have infinite time, all it would take to corrupt you is... said infinite time.

I am NOT saying you shouldn't try to save your friends and your sister. I am not even saying that you should not become a tyrannical overlord, with eternal dominion over the universe. I'm saying that you should put LIMITS on yourself to stay sane. And if you ever break those limits, find more. If you are level 9,000,000, get a level 10,000,000 hobby. Discover the fourth dimension. Solve the mysteries of an alternate universe in under a month. Make friends with other "ascended" beings.

But PLEASE listen to your health bar and realize that if you can do everything forever, you will likely do something unforgivably evil one day - unforgivable by YOURSELF. And it will change you forever.

P.S. Is this thing on?
>>
No. 599701 ID: d90668

Well we just got a flicker of our counterpart over her empathy. Looks like she has regrets about the choices she made. Looks like that regret and Alison's drive to save everyone in the old simulation have sort of combined forces.

That and all the brain eating she has been doing probably has dozens of tiny splinter personalities that have set up shop upstairs.

While her plan is solid I do not think he is doing it for the right reasons. She is trying to save everyone because she hurts inside. It's never a good idea to make any major decisions while you are still grieving. Tends to color everything you do and jumble up a otherwise decent plan.

Honestly if a alternate future me jumped through a portal and saved me from dying and then invited me to live in a city full of us I would not turn them down.
>>
No. 599704 ID: 2fd516

>>599697
Over halfway dead, Polokoa.

...ask her if she's ever tested her hypothesis. It would be fairly simple to test it by altering low-key events in other timelines. Also, ask her what she found out she lost to give her such motivation in the first place. What alternate history is she working towards? She still wears that biosuit, like you... It's one where she didn't kill Rokoa, right? She will still have done so. Eliminating the consequences of her actions will not eliminate the actions themselves. Does she think her Rokoa will just forgive her for murdering her, and so many of her clones? What about AFTER she fixes all her mistakes? What about the mistakes she'll make in the future? Will she try to fix those too? If so, when does it stop? What about other peoples' mistakes? The suffering of others? Why do only Rokoa and Polo get their loved ones back? There is just so much suffering, so much tragic death, some of it necessary death. The best anyone can do is to reduce it. To teach, to guide people towards harmony. If she actually plans to try to reverse every tragic death that has ever happened, will tragedy become meaningless? There are consequences for bringing back the dead.

Also um, I think you just witnessed the negative side effects of injecting yourself repeatedly with brain serum. She's got multiple rokoas and polos inside herself. That brings up a serious issue, here. If she saves her Rokoa, who will she have injected herself with to create the hybrid she is? That would be a problem with you too. She can't bring back your Rokoa and Polo, can she? They are part of you now. If she made their deaths false in the past, no matter if it was done in secret, then your origin is a paradox, and it'll split off a second timeline.

I'd like to advise some caution here as well. She has invested a massive amount of effort into this, and a large amount of suffering of others as well. If you convince her it was all for nothing, she is going to freak the fuck out.
>>
No. 599713 ID: d3be40

>>599704
Don't convince her it was all for nothing, right? Got it.

It isn't for nothing if she can put all that extra brain power to applied use.

Ask her if she can do some good NOW. With all that intelligence, she should be able to design some inventions that can better the people around her, planets that she can govern, sisters she can live with. Tell her that she needs to EARN her right to murder for the greater good, to risk time paradoxes for the power of true resurrection; to play goddess, you either play the part or you get slain.

I don't know if this is a morally justifiable code of ethics in your universe, but it's something that she is likely to accept. Use it - a skewed, three-dimensional moral compass is right tw-erm... some of the time. ish.
>>
No. 599730 ID: 4d85c5

Are there supposed to be little purple things in the goo? That's new.

>Save everyone, bring everyone back to life
Isn't that kind of problematic on the scale she's talking about? Functionally, she's talking about removing death. And having everyone who's ever lived alive at the same time. We're talking massive overpopulation issues. Where do you get the space and resources for that? How is it sustainable when all of everybody ever starts having kids?

I suppose she is talking about tapping dead universes for resources. That might be sustainable, but it would depend on what the rate of life successfully arising is. But I mean, at some point absurdly asymptotic population growth is going to break even that.

...to say nothing about the crazy moral issues of creating universes without consequences. Playing god, deciding how people's lives, how time goes.

>If I want to persuade her to give this up, I need to know what it is motivating her, personally. There was something important there, but she skipped over.
Agreed. No appeal to logic will dissuade her. Any argument needs to be on an emotional level, and we don't have the critical information we need to make that work, yet.

>I won’t take any risk that there’s something, anything I don’t know, that’ll make it all fall apart.
Potential problem. What if there's something, but virtue of knowing it, that causes you to fail? If information that's fundamentally incompatible with what she wants to do exists, her current plan guarantees she'll encounter and absorb it.

>>599694
And I don't know if you could see that, but we got flashes of her CAI. They're definitely tied into this. Overlapping motivations. A perversion or variation on our own impulse to try and save everyone when trapped in the looping hell simulation, piled onto her own issues.

Taking info-war precautions, here. There's no evidence that was a hack attempt, but we're going to treat it as one, just in case. Scanning, trying to see if they did anything or embedded any information in that signal.

>what do
So... bad thought. This decision has some weight, right? So doesn't that mean, even if you say no and stop her from getting this tech, there's going to be a splintered timeline where you say yes and she gets the tech to jump universes again? Which means, either way, there's a Polokoa who can move between universes again.

In which case, it would be nice if the reality hoping maniac was on our good side. One you actually have the option of talking to, and won't just have to put down.

Tell her that that is a lot to think about. Her plan sounds at least halfway insane, but you're not going to write something like that off prematurely, or when you're distracted by bleeding to death. You won't stop her from copying the data she needs now, if she agrees not to use the tech to bug out on you or force the issue. If she's not going to run out of time, she can afford to let you have some to think about this.

In the meantime, let's focus on the immediate problem. ...and make it clear you expect her not to run up some horrible karmic tab while she's here.
>>
No. 599765 ID: b58dda

After the latest Homestuck update I've gotten really fed up with well-intentioned extremists always being wrong and the universe bending over backward to smack them down for no reason.

So you know what? I say go for it. A perfect world with no tragedy or suffering? That's what everyone wants, especially, I think, Polokoa. Isn't a utopia what she's been working towards with her reforms? Rokolo can do her one better with a retroactive utopia.

The only issue I really see is that Rokolo seems to be pretty unstable and nutty, which will of course ensure things go haywire. But that's where Polokoa comes in. She's quite possibly the sanest and most stable individual we've seen so far. A team-up between the two would be a repeat of what makes Polokoa such an effective leader on an even greater scale; Rokoa's determination, willpower and proactiveness kept on a leash and directed towards useful purposes through Polo's pragmatism. With Rokolo's brains and Polokoa's wisdom, we could really do this.

Also? If she gets on board with this, she has input; she can steer Rokolo away from bad choices and ensure things don't collapse spectacularly. If she doesn't...

>>599730
>So... bad thought. This decision has some weight, right? So doesn't that mean, even if you say no and stop her from getting this tech, there's going to be a splintered timeline where you say yes and she gets the tech to jump universes again? Which means, either way, there's a Polokoa who can move between universes again.

...she's going to go ahead with this anyway. Even if Polokoa kills her in this timeline (which I think is really the only thing that's going to stop her at this point), there will be another one that succeeded in her place; we won't have solved anything. Regardless of moral opinions, this is the most practical choice.

However, Rokolo DOES seem pretty unstable and irrational about this. We'll need a bit more info. Try to get a better understanding of her motivations and whatever emotion she's trying to cover up or avoid. Be gentle, though. Lure her out with emotional appeals, and entice her to lay her heart bare. Unfortunately, though, we may not have the time for that...
>>
No. 599778 ID: cee89f

>Fuck, Rokoa could have been immortal by just replacing her body parts from younger neumono!!”
... She mentions Rokoa's potential immortality, but not Polo's. That's... no, probably nothing.

>Plan to become basically the Doctor and/or a time goddess

...
Okay, much like with Radde, I admire this plan for it's audacity, ambition and the fact that if it succeeds, everything gets better.

I am beginning to doubt Rokolo's intelligence, genre-savvyness and general sanity, however.

Rokolo, you're proving here today why being a being of non-linear space-time (don't lie, that's basically what you'll be when you accomplish this plan of yours) isn't necessarily going to get you what you want. You can't guarantee that you'll be able to fix everything, especially since you'll HAVE these non-linear beings to deal with. You took out half of a corpse on a fluke after someone else threw everything they had at it. Look at Polokoa, she's practically one foot in the grave (no offense, mistress).

You'll have the old gods AND the time police gunning for your head at that point. And if they could lock your dimension off, they're going to have something that can prevent this plan eventually.

Just... stew on those things for a while. We can't pretend the idea isn't... intriguing, and worth thinking about.

But we're also bleeding everywhere and people are probably dieing maybe. Not the best environment for thinking about time travel shenanigans.
>>
No. 599859 ID: b69e11

>>599694
I think this is an art error. Polokoa's left eye is red, not pink. Fixing it would ruin the deep and symbolic contrast thing going on though, so it might be better to leave this as-is.
>>
No. 599893 ID: 8f01e8

>>599778
You'll have the old gods AND the time police gunning for your head at that point. And if they could lock your dimension off, they're going to have something that can prevent this plan eventually.

Only the old gods, I suspect. Founding an organization that calls itself the time police, and having them go around hassling your younger self and preventing anyone else from messing with your plan, would be easy enough.
>>
No. 599925 ID: 1a0aba

>>599893
Just because you can establish a stable time loop doesn't mean everything you encounter is going to be a stable loop. Rokolo would need to be put in a position to found the original time cops, and iirc they also existed outside of time like the Elder Machines here. So they don't need a cause.

And if it were possible, then the time police would never have locked Rokolo in her own universe in the first place, or helped Polokoa when she foiled Rokolo's plans that one time. Like Rokolo said, it set her back by a factor of cube (not sure how to actually phrase this, but whatever).
>>
No. 600074 ID: 4c5e0f

>>599778
>But we're also bleeding everywhere and people are probably dieing maybe.

Yeah, what's the status on this? Rokolo said she could fix it, has she? Or does Polokoa need to do something as well? If it's something she needs the super-mode for she should probably do that now while she still has time.
>>
No. 600997 ID: 94501b
File 141557376256.png - (90.49KB , 600x600 , discussionwrokolo1.png )
600997

>Well we just got a flicker of our counterpart over her empathy
>we got flashes of her CAI
>Taking info-war precautions

>[Yeah, that was kinda weird. Don’t know what happened there, that didn’t come through any of our normal ports or sensors.]
>[It wasn’t any sort of communication we equipped ourselves to receive.]
>[I wonder! You guys remember about quantum entanglement, right?]
>[When a pair or group of particles is linked so that their quantum states can only be described as a single unified system. What happens to one happens to all of them without regard for physical distance, sort of. Yes?]
>[Yeah. Well, it’s not the same thing here, if it’s a thing at all, but I wonder, we’re alternate timeline versions of each other. We have to be sharing at least some of the same molecules, right? So maybe something similar is happening. Parts of our systems are resonating with each other.]
>[So, what, we’re experienced a kind of cross-dimensional twin telepathy?]
>[Maybe! Just with the most significant and oft-recurring feelings or thought patterns.]
>[Or maybe we just had so strong an ‘oh I get it’ moment that we hallucinated a bit.]
>[Oh, like when Lolo uncovered that two-headed priapod cult!]
>[I told you to never remind me of that.]

>This decision has some weight, right? So doesn't that mean, even if you say no and stop her from getting this tech, there's going to be a splintered timeline where you say yes and she gets the tech to jump universes again?
>there will be another one that succeeded in her place

>[Woah, don’t go thinking like that, guys. You can’t tell yourself nothing matters because everything happens or doesn’t happen somewhere! It’s bad for you.]
>[Dastrica wouldn’t be happy.]
>[Besides, it might not be true! Dr. Chamani, over at BC3 University, put out a paper two years ago theorizing that it’s not possible to instigate natural timeline mitosis while you’re outside your home timeline. So Rokolo’s personal timeline can’t divide so long as she’s here!]
>[Not that that theory’s been at all proven.]
>[And Chamani made kind of a couple of leaps in her reasoning.]
>[Ok, so it’s not super certain. But how about the Elder Machine, then?]
>[Oh, right! Rokolo said the Elder Machine only exists in this timeline!]
>[And it’s an escaped prisoner. It wouldn’t have been imprisoned at all if that just meant another version of it would still be free. There must be something about it that prevents its timeline from dividing, or maybe that process doesn’t apply to it at all!]
>[Which means that, so long as we’re in direct contact with it, our timelines can’t split either.]
>[Which means that until it’s gone, and who knows for how long after until the effect wears off, everything we do is the one and only thing that gets done!]
>[Our choices matter!]
>[Hooray!…?]
>[Is that good?]

>...ask her if she's ever tested her hypothesis.

“Have you tested-“

“Ugh! Of course I’ve tested it. What do you take me for?”

>A perfect world with no tragedy or suffering?
>Functionally, she's talking about removing death.

“I’m just trying to make sure I understand you. Saving everyone is going to cause some problems, don’t you think?”

“Why would- fuck. I didn’t mean…! Argh, maybe I did for a moment. I get… carried away, sometimes. But I don’t really intend to save literally everyone, you crazy… rrrgh. Should have known you’d interpret it that way.”
>>
No. 600998 ID: 94501b
File 141557381539.png - (103.94KB , 600x600 , discussionwrokolo2.png )
600998

“I’m not like you, not some… ridiculous prophesied demigod Queen, selected to rule the species by the divine right of quantum inevitability, someone who’s going to sit on top of whole planets and glare down like they’re everyone’s preschool teacher. When I said I could save everyone, I meant save everyone I’m responsible for. That we’re responsible for. Our hives, Polokoa. Everyone that I - that Polo or Rokoa should have been able to save from dying in the first place. I want to fix our mistakes. I’m not going to bring people back from anything that couldn’t have been prevented in the first place, I’m not that fucking immature, and I’m not stupid enough to directly interfere with my own creation. And if anyone else wants to save their own people, then they can invent time travel and figure out how to fucking fix it themselves! Because real people, and listen to me because I know this will be hard for you to get, real and reasonable people focus on taking care of their own shit, sister. Do you understand now?

>[Polokoa]’s quite possibly the sanest and most stable individual we’ve seen so far.

Stable, maybe. I am not sane.

>Also um, I think you just witnessed the negative side effects of injecting yourself repeatedly with brain serum. She's got multiple rokoas and polos inside herself.

“I’m… concerned. Your empathy just now seemed-“

I am aware, it is a minor side effect. I’ve absorbed the memories of hundreds of our counterparts, and only seven or eight are so… persistent. It’s statistically negligible, and the echoes fade away, over time. They’re easy to handle, normally, but you’re riling them up. Making them want things they can’t have. Fuck, ‘they’ don’t even really exist! It’s just parts of my mind being a bit delusional. That’s a-.”
>>
No. 601001 ID: 94501b
File 141557395564.png - (132.62KB , 600x600 , discussionwrokolo3.png )
601001

Shut UP Polo you’re an aerospace engineer you don’t know SHIT about neurobiology OR psychiatry!!

Make that very concerned. It would be nice if Dastrica was here.

>moral issues
>Power corrupts.

Good points. Especially when I remember, from what the Time Police told me, that in her own dimension Rokolo is effectively a cross between a mad scientist, a military dictator and an organized crime boss. And a sexual predator.

>Any argument needs to be on an emotional level

>[Guys, I think we’re getting close to the moment where a decision needs to be made. If Polokoa wants to stand any chance of physically subduing Rokolo so we can deal with her later in better surroundings, we need to make the attempt soon.]
>[Rokolo probably isn’t going to respond to normal reasoning. She’s clearly at least a little nuts (not even counting this ‘echoes’ thing), so what we’d have to do is figure out exactly how and why she’s nuts, and then use it against her.]
>[We have some clues on why Rokolo does what she does already. If we follow this path we could get a few more, and then maybe we could convince her to back down… but betting that we will do all that is a risk!]
>[She already demonstrated that she didn’t hold a grudge against you once already, so fighting doesn’t mean giving up on convincing her of anything ever.]
>[The longer we wait, though, the worse a chance with a fight we’ll have.]

She’s upset with herself over her loss of control, and stress seems to make her more honest. If I asked her for her personal motivations in the right way, she might answer out of sheer exasperation.
>>
No. 601010 ID: 07a835

>>601001
Why do you want her to back down? If she does what she wants to do, won't this sibling rivalry finally end? You could help her. Don't you think her hive deserves to be saved? The Elder Machine wanted the both of you to fight. Defy it.

That said, it'd still be cool to knock her down a peg through emotional manipulation. How about this: "What if those who died deserved to die? What if bringing them back causes nothing but suffering for those around them?"
>>
No. 601035 ID: dd8e0b

>timeline can't split because the elder machine only exits in this timeline
But we already sent it back. The elder machine only exists in a small segment of this timeline. Now that we're past that, it should be free to splinter at will.

>You can’t tell yourself nothing matters because everything happens or doesn’t happen somewhere! It’s bad for you.
Normally, the other consequences don't matter, since you don't interact with each other. But when the consequence is whether or not people (or a person) starts traveling between realities, it gets messy right quick.

>just save everyone we're 'responsible' for
That... changes the problem significantly. On the one hand, it makes this project a whole lot more feasible. On the other hand, it might make it less moral. It goes from a grand design (of questionable insanity) to something personal and selfish. As tempting as it is, does anyone really deserve to fix their own family, their own life, at the cost this would take to implement? With the risks involved?

>It’s statistically negligible
Nothing that's possible is statistically negligible over the set of all possible realities. Since your plan hinges on hitting them all, you're guaranteed to hit those low-probability cases. This problem will get worse over time, not better.

Nevermind the fact that you're already somewhat splintered yourself. She really think if she stuck you into her brain you wouldn't be just as noisy, if not more?

>what say
Ask her what she's responsible for. Ask her what she did, what mistake she made, that's she's willing to do absolutely everything to undo. You'd have to be a blind, deaf, unemphatic idiot not to see it tearing her up, even now.

She wants to talk about taking responsibility? That's what your whole damn egotistical space empire she so disproves of is about. Forcing everyone to stop acting like children and take responsibility for their actions. I couldn't fix my shit, but I could damn well make sure everyone else did.
>>
No. 601039 ID: cfe8e5

>>601010
You know, I don't know if it's something that we should bring up at this exact moment, but her plan is self-contradictory.

In an unaltered history, the time traveler goes back in time to alter an event: the only way to ensure that no alternate universe splits off where this event still takes place is for the altered event to still superficially appear to the pre-travel time traveler to have been the same. In other words, the pre-travel traveler cannot know the exact nature of events: if the truth of what happened is known, changing events is impossible.

Thus, gathering knowledge to leave nothing up to luck is self-defeating: the more you know about the mechanics of previous events the more difficult your job becomes since your goal in the end is to con yourself. As soon as your travel back the "difficulty" of this con is set and scaled with the knowledge you had at the time of traveling; the only meaningful learning that can be achieved is AFTER you travel back in time (as knowledge gained then can be used 'against' your pre-time-travel self to con them into traveling back int he first place).

And of course, once you're in the past (before an event happens) you can't learn about the event you intend to change until it happens, at which point it's too late to change it.

So either you learn everything you can and make your own job of changing the past nigh-impossible or you leave gaps in your own knowledge deliberately to take advantage of and risk leaving things up to chance.
>>
No. 601051 ID: 07a835

>>601039
Um, there's a fundamental flaw in your argument. You're not supposed to con yourself in the present, you're supposed to con yourself in the distant past. The event is back then, you know. The more you know about eyewitness accounts of the event, the more easily you can see points in time where nobody was looking. The pre-time-travel self you speak of does not know if the exchange happened or not, no matter how much knowledge is gained about the circumstances of the event in preparation for the trip.

Think of it as a Schrodinger's Cat. With cloning, time travel, teleportation and organic AIs, it can be considered very difficult to confirm if someone died for real without checking for those exact things. So, the target is both alive and dead, and you only know for certain when the time traveler returns from the trip.
>>
No. 601054 ID: d3be40

Oh good, she set up limits for herself. Now, focus on her inability to recognize the fact that she is murdering people.

Something has caused her to lose trust in people, but not fragments of their psyche. An army of Polos or Rokoas would be a great brain trust to solve the equations needed for perfect time resurrection. A hive mind of chopped up brains? Not so much.

Figure out what caused her to lose trust in other people. If you can convince her that eating minds is destroying her chances of saving ANYONE, you might be able to chip off some of her psyche.
>>
No. 601077 ID: cfe8e5

>>601051
>You're not supposed to con yourself in the present, you're supposed to con yourself in the distant past.

Except you DO have to con yourself in the present (the present being the you that is motivated to travel back in time to fix the past). That's why you have to make events line up: you have to be motivated to travel back in time in the FIRST place or else you create a paradox and split timelines. You have to con yourself from the point where you first witnessed the accident all the way up until the point where you decide to time travel. Conning your "ancient self" might provide the greatest motivation, but should your past/present self discover hints of your future self's con before deciding to time travel themselves, they could radically change their actions and never time travel at all, and thus end up preserving the original timeline via paradox.

For example; say you replace someone that died with a clone or something; what happens if your con is good enough to hid traces of your involvements; but your past self, in researching how you're going to go back in time and fix things, discovers that the person they thought died was just a clone? They're rational, and they don't know their own future self's involvement, so they're forced to investigate further where you never did, and from there chaos theory takes over. The only time you might get lucky is if your past self just assumes that they already time traveled and that anything weird is just something they're going to have to manipulate to happen: but such an assumption isn't necessarily rational (and the logical conclusion of such an assumption is that one has to manipulate the entirety of history behind the scenes "just in case" you're not witnessing the "original" version of events but instead a "semi-corrected" version of events that the original-timeline version of you set up to set things right so that you end up creating a stable loop rather than a branching paradox like your assumed time-traveling self attempted to do).
>>
No. 601201 ID: 89b2a2

>>601001
you can get her to calm down easily, just pet her on the head and scratch her behind the ears. If it ever becomes necessary.
>>
No. 601292 ID: 8f01e8

Ask for numbers. How many people, exactly, is she trying to save? Make it sound like you're starting to be persuaded, doing some ethical calculus, 'harm justified by prevention of greater harm.' Obsessive research means she's probably got a memorized list, and might end up blurting out, or at least empathically projecting, the reasons for each one as she names them.
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No. 602520 ID: 846821

I still don't really see why her plan is a bad thing, other than the brain-nomming (which Polokoa might be able to get her to stop doing if she provides her with a better alternative, like having actual people skills). If this destabilizes the multiverse and draws the attention of the Time Police then obviously she shouldn't do it, but we've seen no evidence for that - they seem to object to people hopping between timelines, no word on changing their own. And again, Polokoa has input if she agrees to help - including demands, such as Rokolo stopping her mad antics once she's accomplished the supposed end to justify the means. Maybe she can get Dastrika to untangle her psyche, too.

>DO SOMETHING ALREADY
"Subdue" her? As in nonlethally? I thought you couldn't do that to neumono. Polokoa dealt with her before so she could do that again and drag her back to Dastrika for therapy, I suppose. Epic boss fight and non-lethal KO incoming?

>what say
Ahh, social skills, my one weakness! Her patience is clearly exhausted, so something direct like "Who are you responsible for?" might work...but it also might just maker her angrier and blow Polokoa off. I suppose we don't have time for subtle, though.

Going back to her moment of vulnerability, she acted weird when she got to the part about "how things could have gone". Could be potentiality explosion like the CAI theorizes, but it could be something more specific. Did she see a utopian timeline where important people didn't die and Rokoa and Polo got to live happily ever after? (...Polo Quest's timeline?) Maybe be direct about that. Though the question is how to phrase it... "What did you see?" probably won't cut it.
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No. 603716 ID: 07a835

...how about a compromise? She can make a list of things to learn then travel back in time to tell herself to study one of those things and to then travel back in time again to study the next thing on the list. Then use the brain-leeching technique on HERSELF to learn all that shit her alternate past selves learned. Her alternate selves will do that too, so the timelines will merge again since each Rokolo winds up with the same collection of knowledge.
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No. 603722 ID: d3be40

>>603716
That would likely cause a time paradox. Telling her past self directly to study a different thing than what she did in the original time would likely cause a parallel universe to form, one where she went back in time and one where she didn't.

Does she HAVE to keep killing and lobotomizing her alternate selves to absorb their memories? Why hasn't she developed a mind-copier yet? It wouldn't have to be perfect - those partial brains certainly aren't.
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No. 603813 ID: cee89f

>>603722
>That would likely cause a time paradox. Telling her past self directly to study a different thing than what she did in the original time would likely cause a parallel universe to form, one where she went back in time and one where she didn't
Well yeah, but that would mean she's travelling to alternate universes to absorb memories from herself, who knows of her own ultimate goal and would put up with the memory extraction procedure by her own admission.
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No. 609820 ID: b99950

I think there's a more efficient way to go about this.
Time travel, unless I'm badly misunderstanding the mechanics, allows for infinite computational power, as no matter how long it takes to run a program, you get the results instantly. Even if the program runs longer than the universe, you can send what progress you've made back however many times it takes to complete it.
Infinite computation allows for a number of cool things; most relevant here is the ability to simulate a universe in perfect detail; and not just a single universe, but ALL POSSIBLE universes, because infinite computing power makes infinite tasks trivial.
A perfect simulation of a person is the same thing as that person; if you have two copies of a computer document, deleting one does not mean the document ceases to exist. Thus, saving someone in a simulation is the same as saving them outside of a simulation, and much easier; saving someone outside requires fucking around with clones and robot doubles, while saving someone within a simulation is just a matter of point and click. (Once you've gotten the programming groundwork done, obviously.)
What's more, this makes saving absolutely everyone plausible, since it requires no extra logistics beyond the time machine and computer itself, and any manpower obstacles can be solved by giving selected individuals within the simulation admin powers, or simply copy-pasting yourself a few vigintillion times.
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No. 609993 ID: ae94eb

>>609820
Eh...the clone isn't actually the person, though. The original body still died. Unless you can confirm that perfectly replicating someone's brain resurrects them, there's still the issue of people being unsaved.
>>
No. 613161 ID: ecd0ab

She is clearly onto SOMETHING, or she would've imploded in some kind of horrible time paradox event or something by now. The only question here is how much she is getting right and how much is just her being nuts.
>>603722
Good question! Why hasn't she?
>>
No. 618690 ID: 2de9ed

>>609993
Well, the way I see it is that minds are sort of like books. If you have two copies of a book, and you destroy one, the book continues to exist. In order for a book to actually be destroyed, you would need to hunt down and destroy every copy of that book. The important thing about a mind is its information content, the thoughts it thinks. The specific physical substrate those thoughts are being thought with is of secondary importance.
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No. 622447 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235751343.png - (119.75KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate0.png )
622447

>But we already sent it back.

>[Um, no we haven’t. We’re standing in it right now.]

>A perfect simulation of a person is the same thing as that person
>Well, the way I see it is that minds are sort of like books. If you have two copies of a book, and you destroy one, the book continues to exist.

You’re an AI. How would you feel about a perfect copy being made of you, and then you being killed while leaving them to go on? I’ve had enough experience with clones and alternate universes to know it doesn’t work like that. From the perspective of the universe, maybe, but not for the one who gets to die. As for Rokolo, I’m getting the feeling that bringing the dead back isn’t even her real ultimate goal, emotionally speaking. If she just wanted to meet them again she would visit them in another timeline.

>Does she HAVE to keep killing and lobotomizing her alternate selves to absorb their memories? Why hasn't she developed a mind-copier yet?

You’d have to ask her. But, she doesn’t exactly kill the alternates herself in any case: she just leaves them in a state where they can’t function to the best of their ability. My problem is how many times she’s done that at the wrong time for them, so that they end up getting themselves killed or not being able to save others.

She seems to be cooling down, but her empathy still feels strange. Sort of-
>>
No. 622448 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235755240.png - (96.55KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate1.png )
622448

Hold on. Her mood shifted.
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No. 622450 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235771324.png - (226.73KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate2.png )
622450

“Right, forget my issues. It doesn’t matter! I’ve got everything I need. How about we continue this conversation up above? You’d better be more persuasive than you have been, because you just missed your chance to pull the plug.”

Hm.

“Have I? You’re not at home, Rokolo. Unless you’ve got a set of warp drives and a pack of fusion reactors in your pockets, you’re still not going anywhere.”

“This is the asteroid! There are crashed ships all over. I can put something together.”

“By yourself? With every authority in this version of the galaxy after you?”
>>
No. 622451 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235775594.png - (194.64KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate3.png )
622451

>Polokoa has input if she agrees to help - including demands, such as Rokolo stopping her mad antics once she's accomplished the supposed end to justify the means. Maybe she can get Dastrica to untangle her psyche, too.
>You could help her.

“Maybe you could pull it off, but without my help it’s not likely. You don’t have your clones, you don’t have your secret labs, and you’re not on a full-size planet too dangerous to be fully charted. I don’t get along perfectly with the authorities in the rest of the galaxy, but you won’t get along with them either if I tell them about you, and I wouldn’t even need to. You think my dimension is ridiculous and unrealistic? Well, it is. I have ninjas.”

I’m starting to wish I’d brought some of them with me.

“But we don’t have to do that. At least, that’s what I’d like to say. What I would like, if I could, is to actually offer you my help.”

“… Yeah?”

“I can get you resources you could never have in your own dimension. You can pick assistants from across the galaxy, multiple CAIs, experimental military technology, test ranges, all of it. You don’t even need to stop visiting other timelines: I’ll go with you and help you convince those Polos and Rokoas to lend you their memories. But first of all, there’d be conditions.”

“Of course there would.”

“You have to have patience. If you’re after a version of Polo that’s trying to stop a city being blown up, we wait before waylaying her. We try to convince her, and if she’s not going to say yes, we move on. There’ll be some other version of her with the same skills who’ll say yes, somewhere. You’re the one who just said time wasn’t a factor, weren’t you? But here’s where we start running into problems, because I’ll be the one saying whether we move on or not. That applies to the whole project. You can run it, but I’m in charge, and if I say you stop doing something, you stop. I say what ideas become reality. And to help those ideas be good ones, my next condition would be that you visit a therapist and-“

“You want to send me to the couch!?”

“The same one I go to. She’s good. But-”

“Hold on. Dastrica? Your version of Dastrica is a psychiatrist!? Ha ha! That actually makes sense.”

“What’s yours d- no, I don’t want to know. I want to go to your dimension as well, and start fixing it up, but look, those conditions aren’t the problem! I’m sure they’re going to be issues, especially expecting you to let go control of anything, but the real proble-“
>>
No. 622452 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235780995.png - (221.77KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate4.png )
622452

“… Nnnnnh.”

“Wh- Hey! What’s wrong? What could make you whine?”

>[Holy shit, Polokoa! You’re running out of spare brains!]
>[Are you ok!?]

“Ewin? Olishiz, awaspar bra… Aurke? Ghrh.”

>[… What?]
>[Shit. Alright, I know you don’t like it, but we’re going to use your neural bypasses. It’ll patch you up and cut the load, we shouldn’t get another random spike like that.]
>>
No. 622453 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235785951.png - (181.89KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate5.png )
622453

“Let me take… You’re even worse off than you look!”

“… I’m fine.”

“Fuck you’re fine, sister, you just developed receptive aphasia right in front of me. Do you know how bad a neumono has to be for those kind of symptoms to manifest? We’re getting you to the surface so you can shut your suit off.”

“No! Bypasses. I can last a while longer, now. Long enough. I can’t go yet.”
>>
No. 622454 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235791872.png - (185.23KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate6.png )
622454

“While the elder machine’s here, the timeline won’t split. So if I make my decision now, it sticks! And I can’t make that decision until I know whether or not I can trust you!”

“… Excuse me?”
>>
No. 622455 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235795673.png - (200.58KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate7.png )
622455

>Her patience is clearly exhausted, so something direct like "Who are you responsible for?" might work...
>Ask her what she's responsible for. Ask her what she did, what mistake she made, that's she's willing to do absolutely everything to undo.

“That’s the real problem! I know you won’t keep your word if you really think you need to break it, Rokolo. So the only way I can trust you is if I can predict what you’ll do, and I can’t! Everything you’ve been telling me, you want it, they’re real reasons, but they’re not the real reason. There’s something else, something you want to avoid, something more important than everything else! That’s what I need to know, so just tell me honestly why you need to do all this!”
>>
No. 622456 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235801867.png - (119.13KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate8.png )
622456

“Alright, you want to know? One: It’s awesome.”

“Rokolo.”

“Two: I actually want to see everyone again, what a surprise!”

“Rokolo!”

“Three-“

Rokolo!
>>
No. 622457 ID: 7bc1b7
File 142235804846.png - (108.58KB , 600x600 , motivationsupdate9.png )
622457

Because it was my fault!! Are you happy!? You couldn’t figure that out on your own!? They died and I was made to take revenge for it, Polo pretended it was something else but that’s what it was, stupid idiot pointless revenge! Then I looked into the fucking time vortex like an idiot and I find out none of it had to happen and it’s all because Rokoa had to taunt Polo and Polo decided to shoot her and leave her for dead!! So I couldn’t pretend that there hadn’t been anything I could have done, that it couldn’t have happened any other way or that I did my best because I didn’t! Or Polo didn’t - Rokoa, or… I… Whatever!! I’m them!!”

“Do you know what it feels like to think you’re responsible for your own hive’s death!? Do you!? It’s the worst fucking pain you can’t even imagine and this plan is the only reason I got out, because now they’re all actually alive and I just have to collect them and I’ll be free! That’s why it needs be perfect! If I mess around even a little, if I don’t do absolutely everything that I could possibly ever do to make it happen then I’m playing with their lives and if it doesn’t work that means I’ll have killed them again! And I won’t!! Do you understand!? I refuse, absolutely, unequivocally, to allow even the tiniest fractional chance that I will ever have to feel like any member of my hives - of my family, died because of me, not ever ever ever again!!! That’s it, all right!? Now you know!”

So what are you going to do about it!?

>>
No. 622468 ID: 275075

So... Cuddle time?
>>
No. 622470 ID: d90668

I think she needs a hug.
>>
No. 622500 ID: a18f15

>You’re an AI. How would you feel about a perfect copy being made of you, and then you being killed while leaving them to go on?
I suppose once you've cut and pasted a few times the perspective on forking gets a little skewed.

>Rokolo's acting / empath-ing like she sees worse injuries than our sensors are picking up
Wait. The difference is superficial, but Rokolo's seeing worse injuries than we are. Is that her emotional state affecting her perceptions, or is there something trying to sanitize our medical feeds? Polokoa, please tell me you didn't have something installed so you could redline without us being able to tell just how close you got the edge.

>So what are you going to do about it!?
Hug her. And then we're going to cut the power to your super suit, leaving you to collapse under your own injuries before you can kill yourself. And leaving your crazy sister with a helpless family member she needs to save.
>>
No. 622513 ID: d958ad

I think you should make absolutely sure this won't backfire. Ask her to swear on her family that she will cooperate with you.
>>
No. 622521 ID: cee89f

>>622457
... huh.

Alright then.

I don't think we're going to be persuading her to stop. You're gonna have to convince her to let you supervise.
>>
No. 622669 ID: b1b296

That seems like a very reasonable motivation, and she seems genuinely invested to the point she might level out once she succeeds. Help her. She didn't have any strong, immediate objections to the conditions so it seems like this could work.
>>
No. 626574 ID: 011a84

Smack her, then hug her, then tell her that if she fucks it up, you'll hunt her across the multiverse.

That should have her properly confused!
>>
No. 630428 ID: 6a263e
File 142709783440.png - (111.23KB , 600x600 , polokoaschoices1.png )
630428

>So... Cuddle time?
>I think she needs a hug.
>Hug her
>Smack her, then hug her

Well… no, she doesn’t want a hug. I think she’s sensitive about seeming weak, now, after saying all that.

>Is that her emotional state affecting her perceptions, or is there something trying to sanitize our medical feeds?

>I’m afraid a lot of our sense of surface damage and flesh wounds is still based on data from Polokoa’s biological senses.
>We have heartbeat and body temperature and neurotransmitter monitors and all that, we can reliably tell if and where she’s injured, but when it comes to how much pain she’s feeling… well, she’s just gotten so good at ignoring it, you know? It’s hard to distinguish from her normal background damage.

>I don't think we're going to be persuading her to stop. You're gonna have to convince her to let you supervise.

I’m not sure I can even do that. I’m sensing some resentment.

She doesn’t seem to think my offer is any better than her original plan was. Not worse, either, but I don’t think that’s good enough for her. The pathological obsession with saving her family is one thing, and clearly the overwhelming first thing, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have other issues. She’s used to being in control; she probably had to spend a huge amount of effort to get that control, in the first place. The idea of giving it up is difficult for her. Which means I have to use force, after all.
>>
No. 630429 ID: 6a263e
File 142709796380.png - (211.92KB , 600x600 , polokoaschoices2.png )
630429

If you could hack into her suit, defeat your counterpart and take control, then you could retrieve the information she just got off the elder machine and delete it from their system.

The first option for doing that would be for me to just jump her so you can get stuck in right away. While you do that, I’ll grab her and get us both out of here. You’re having to divert a lot of effort to keeping me going, I know, but you’ve been prepared for a contest like this. It would half be like the battles you had to deal with when you were created, and half digging through her mind while you follow her neural connections. It should be an even match.

>[Oh man, one of those dream metaphor mind journeys again?]
>[Those are always so weird and confusing! You never know what you’re supposed to be doing.]
>[Come on guys, it won’t be that bad. We’ll be meeting our own challenges, after all. Sort of.]

The second option would be to knock her around a bit so that her CAI has to deal with her injuries the way you’re doing mine. That’ll reclaim your advantage and then some, so you should be able to do your hacking with no problem. I’m in bad shape, but my suit is still fully charged, so she shouldn’t be a problem for me.

I really don’t want to have to fight her at all. If only I had something else to add, some extra persuasion that would overcome her pride, then…

>then we're going to cut the power to your super suit, leaving you to collapse under your own injuries before you can kill yourself. And leaving your crazy sister with a helpless family member she needs to save.

… That’s a third option. But I’d need to actually disable your aid, so that she would really have no choice but to bring me straight to my people herself. If you’re willing, and if you think it’s the best option… I’ll do it.

The time for talking is over. Tell me your decision.
>>
No. 630435 ID: a9753c

Look at her. She's probably thinking the same thing you are. Makes sense, given how you're LITERALLY cut from the same cloning sources... whatever.

Figure out which choice will deal the least damage to the Elder Machine. It's possible that you can shut down your implant's extranet functions (increasing your defense against hacks), and knock her out while she's busy trying to dominate you.

What if you're both broken? Maybe you two need help, but from an insane psychiatrist who works on stabilizing minds rather than deprogramming them...
>>
No. 630436 ID: 296917

>>630429
1, because the elder machine wants a direct confrontation, and I do not want to give it the satisfaction. Also maybe you could figure out what makes her tick so that you can get her to let go of her pride, at least enough to get the ball rolling.

That third option sounds like just giving up. I mean, if we lose the fight via either method, isn't that what would happen?
>>
No. 630470 ID: e6e219

You know the best way to know if a deal is decent is if you would take it yourself. Would you let her meddle in your affairs because she did not trust you?

So before anything else tell her this.

"You know what Rokolo I am being unreasonable. I am constantly surrounded by people who want me running there lives that when a equal comes along I stupidly treat them like one of my subjects."

"Here is a new deal for you if you will take it. I will help you with your project. Even if all that means is helping you get out of here and then waving goodbye as you head back to your dimension."

"I might dislike some of your methods but its not my job to judge you. So if you want my help you can have it. And if you do not I will help you leave. Maybe just stay a week so we can have send off party first."

"Just remember that if not for a bit of random luck today you would still be stuck in your dimension with no access to any other. I know you don't trust me and want to do this alone but is your pride worth the risk? If you keep going the way you have been you might get trapped by the time police again and never be able to finish your plan."


See if that gets to her and if not I would say cut life support and force her to bring us home. I know its not the best option but she is at full power while you are half dead already. All she has to do is draw out the fight by a minute and we would have to spend all our power just keeping you alive.

Also fighting here would just play into the elder gods plan. Trying to save everyone can only go so far. We have a responsibility to our people here. Trying to save random alternate dimension versions from getting molested by Rokolo is outside our jurisdiction.
>>
No. 630519 ID: cee89f

...

If we purposefully disable you, that leaves Rokolo alone to do what she wills. Even if she does return you to your people, she's not going to stick around. We want her to stick around.

And I don't relish the idea of a CAI v CAI battle. It's possible they'll hit a vulnerable system that could kill you or something.

We might be able to talk them down - frankly a fellow CAI would be easier to deal with than either of you nitwits.

... No offense, mistress.

If we must fight, then you'll need to reach medical as soon as possible.

>some extra persuasion
You have a somewhat galactic empire, that might be worth it? You could offer your military/scientific resources to-

... wait, how do we know that the ship will come back from that time bubble thing?! We can't guarantee you'll have medical anywhere near you to access!
>>
No. 630528 ID: 5db52c

>It’s hard to distinguish from her normal background damage.
...I'm going to assume what we're picking up secondhand from Rokolo's empathy is more accurate, then, and start rounding up the damage estimates accordingly.

>If you could hack into her suit, defeat your counterpart and take control, then you could retrieve the information she just got off the elder machine and delete it from their system.
Let's be brutally honest here. Our counterpart is likely to be as competent as we are. A hacking fight between us would be a slugfest, decided by pure chance, and/or luck of which universe we managed to invent slightly better next-gen bio-computer / not-actually jetalium systems to host us. The element of surprise wouldn't even matter, because no matter which of you moves first, no matter how fast your reflexes are, that's still slow compared to processor cycles. The 'defending' CAI will not be surprised.

If you set us on each other the much more likely outcome, rather than a hacking victory for either side, is our two collectives meeting some kind of accord or compromise without either of you two getting to butt heads or veto as we do it. We'd go over your argumentative little bunny heads.

Additionally, in the unlikely event we don't bypass you two and reach our own compromise, and it comes to a strait hack fight, I give our alternates better odds. Rokolo's been on a relentless quest for improvement and resources. And they may have real-world experience fighting other alternate CAIs in their raids on other realities.

>what do
I still like option 3. We emotionally blackmail her- put her in a situation where she has no choice but to stick to her principles and try to save a family member. Force her to act, maybe force an epiphany.
>>
No. 630803 ID: 8f01e8

Option 3. No amount of eleventh-hour violence, physical or computational, will change what kind of a person Rokolo is. Meanwhile, the sooner we shut down the CEP, the more time all those neumono on the surface will have to recover from it's effects and brace themselves for whatever seismic nonsense the elder machine's exit causes.
>>
No. 630948 ID: 88960e

>>630803
Ooh. That's a good point. Keeping the suit on at this point means we're making the call to continue to keep all the neumono on this rock disabled- unable to evacuate, protect themselves, or participate in disaster relief.

That only makes sense if we're classifying Rokolo as a bigger threat to their safety than... everything else. And while she has the potential to be, I don't think she actually is, right now.
>>
No. 631151 ID: 8f01e8

>>630948
Actually, it goes even further than that: the more damage Polokoa suffers right now, the longer it'll take her to fully recover, so the more strategic-scale messes there will need to be cleaned up during and after that recovery, Rokolo-related or otherwise.

Anybody remember that time Baron Wulfenbach got wounded at the Battle of Passholdt, and Castle Heterodyne woke up before he was out of the hospital? Or when the Jade Prison broke and the Scarlet Empress disappeared? Hypercompetent autocrat incapacitated + galaxy full of opportunistic weirdos + new disruptive threat => utter chaos.

Let's take the route which keeps that to a minimum.
>>
No. 631389 ID: 241719

I vote option 3. It feels like the most interesting and narratively satisfying ending, assuming Rokolo does cooperate.
>>
No. 631684 ID: 89ea1e

No more talking! Take a third option!
>>
No. 638044 ID: 89f494

ATTENTION: It turns out that figuring out what the suggesters are suggesting is harder than the author thought it would, for reasons that are his own fault. So he, that is I, am doing a poll to clear it up.

You can get the link (and discuss my failings) in the general Asteroid discussion thread: >>/questdis/90821
>>
No. 647936 ID: 1a7a01
File 143408513690.png - (167.54KB , 600x600 , hackstart1.png )
647936

>We might be able to talk them down - frankly a fellow CAI would be easier to deal with than either of you nitwits.
>If you set us on each other the much more likely outcome, rather than a hacking victory for either side, is our two collectives meeting some kind of accord or compromise without either of you two getting to butt heads or veto as we do it.

… It isn’t what I think we should do. Too much trust in your alternate selves. Too dangerous, too risky. My gut tells me to be firm, to contain her, and fix all this… wrongness. I have to make it right.

But I always feel that, that I have to make everything right, all the time. The beating of my hearts is less constant than that feeling. I know it’s not natural, that I’m not right in my head. In my heart. Sometimes I have to struggle with myself, just to remember that.

That’s one reason I have you.

I trust you.

… I can’t hide my thoughts from her while I’m keeping the empathy generator active.
>>
No. 647937 ID: 1a7a01
File 143408518231.png - (171.37KB , 600x600 , hackstart2.png )
647937

So I’ll fix that.

“… Hey. What are you-?”
>>
No. 647938 ID: 1a7a01
File 143408523924.png - (125.10KB , 600x600 , hackstart3.png )
647938

Do what you think is best.

“Don’t turn off your suit here!! We have to get out!”
>>
No. 647939 ID: 1a7a01
File 143408527316.png - (113.76KB , 600x550 , hackstart4.png )
647939

“I’m… pretty sure you were planning… to disable me, anyway.”

“I was going to steal your suit power, you idiot! Or get you to get us out first!”

“Just… use your dumb cards.”

“Urgh. Fine, since I have your permission. I hope you like being put in a coma, sister.”

“I’ve had practice. But… we’ll see.”

Good luck.
>>
No. 647940 ID: 1a7a01
File 143408531123.png - (84.29KB , 600x500 , hackstart5.png )
647940

Network connection established! HARDWARE ERROR: bandwidth limitations detected. It is highly recommended that only one or two representatives be selected from the CAI ROSTER to coordinate efforts. While waiting, perhaps you’d like to select an AI lobby backdrop theme?
>>
No. 647941 ID: e114bc

>>647940
Lobby theme... How about Knights of the Round Table?
>>
No. 647947 ID: b5b419

>>647940
Transfer whatever spare dregs we can to the other suit before it goes entirely without killing Polokoa.
>>
No. 647948 ID: ab7529

>lobby theme
TNG's observation lounge. That's where you do diplomacy and first contact and make plans for important missions in space, right?

>representatives
Alison and Arbiter?
>>
No. 647977 ID: a19cd5

mii plaza snoop mashup.
>>
No. 647985 ID: 8111b6

>>647977
Oh god. I just imagined a mii plaza where everyone is that one dancing snoop gif, and found it hilarious. Smoke weed e'rry day, bitches.

Maybe a nice picnic setting would make things cozy and pleasant. Put everyone at ease.

Board room would send an 'all about business' message instead.
>>
No. 647994 ID: 714f02

>>647940
How about something resembling the set of a daytime TV talk show, perfect for when the crazy gets out.
>>
No. 648001 ID: c2fb88

Lets go for a MST3K theater so we can all sit in the front row and make jokes on the memories we pull up. What better way to bond than to have us all laugh at our partners embarrassing memories?
>>
No. 648189 ID: 2f4b71

The War Room from Dr Strangelove.
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No. 649030 ID: 7450ea
File 143453180250.png - (107.68KB , 600x500 , PolokoaReps.png )
649030

In hopes that diplomacy and appeal to better nature are the best paths to take, ALISON and ARBITER are selected as Polokoa’s CAI representatives.

The network lobby theme is set to KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE.
>>
No. 649031 ID: 7450ea
File 143453185359.gif - (79.14KB , 900x600 , knightslobbyP.gif )
649031

>[Having chosen to join forces, the CAIs will now share in all actions and knowledge until their hosts are disconnected again. Thus, the adventure continues in the Rokolo Quest thread, with >>649028]
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