>>948741
bet you that what's-his-name asked her to look up illicit pornography for him and it bluescreened her with malware

Baron 2019/11/07(Thu)20:37 No. 949014 ID: 482fee
File 157318785372.png - (184.21KB , 1400x1050 , 91.png )

"Rocket! Get down to your workshop! Someone strung up Mako like godsdamn hazard signal!"

I-I have no idea how to read this technobabble. The fuck does a 'Reg_Seq.log' even mean?!

Baron 2019/11/07(Thu)20:38 No. 949015 ID: 482fee
File 157318788764.png - (183.14KB , 1400x1050 , 92.png )

"T-t-t-t-tty?"

"Mako? Mako! Can you hear me?"

"T-tybalt. What are you doing?"

>>949015
Show her the thing, ask if it's safe to just yank it off.

We're trying to fix you, and this is a non-smoking vessel except on designated poker nights

"Uhh... Vibe check?"

"There was smoke coming out of your crown."

You were BSOD-ing and I was troubleshooting your brain

“I don’t know! What is this thing, and how to I disconnect it safely?!”

Baron 2019/11/10(Sun)13:15 No. 949200 ID: 482fee
File 157342049930.png - (175.49KB , 1400x1050 , 93.png )

"Your eyes were red, there was smoke coming out of your crown, how am I supposed to take that?"

"O-oh. Sssorry. I was-hold on. I was attempting to interface with my Primogen matrix. Nothing on this ship can directly comminicate with it so I had to improvise..."

"But why? You were BSOD-ing and stuff!"


"It's not a perfect system. I'm working with technology that was never meant to interface with this thing. And then you said we were heading into Primogen space and well...I'm concerned."

"Concerned? What do you have to be concerned about?"

"You really don't know? Captain, until Janu spoke to me, I didn't even know I was running off Primogen tech. I don't know what this thing is capable of doing, or what it is doing to me if it is doing anything at all. I don't know how I'll react when in the presence of a live Primogen, or if they'll be able to take control of me. And what's worse? Janu was right in a way. There's more to this matrix than I thought."

"You mean-"

"The interface was partially successful. There's someone else in here. I can't access them, but they're in here. And that scares me as well. Can the Primogen bring them out? What will happen to ME if that happens? There's too many unknowns. I know I shouldn't be. I don't even know if this is really fear I'm feeling because I'm copying someone else's brain or just a really advanced Primogen simulation of fear. It's messing me up inside."

>>949200
Alright. This sounds like a job for our karver. Also tell Rocket the situation's fine.

>>949201
At the very least, there's nothing on fire. Not sure if she's completely "fine," so let's work on helping her fix that. Let's get Basmati down here, and get her mask out while we're at it; this might be a no-face-clawing mask task. Stress that this is going to be a read-only mission at first; she can't screw around with anything until we can be sure that she can put stuff back the way it was if she breaks something.

>>949212
>>949201
Woah woah Mako just said she dosen't know what'll happen if she screws with her matrix. Sending Basmati in sounds exactly like "screwing with it"

In future, try to play with yourself in a way that doesn't cause neural damage.

Baron 2019/11/11(Mon)19:25 No. 949308 ID: 29988a
File 157352915087.png - (134.53KB , 1400x1050 , 94.png )

"Basmati are you sure this is gonna work? I mean I saw Mako's wiring and that was all messed up and stuff."

"Mako was attempting to jury-rig an interface with herself. A lot of workarounds and looping back. This is just me accessing her matrix directly. Much simpler."

"Okay I understood none of that. How long until you finish tinkering with-"

"Done."

"What? That fast? So is Mako fixed? Is there like a second person or something? Did you get it out?"

"No."

"And now I'm lost again. You just said you were done."

"There is a second personality dormant in there. I made contact. It is keyed to a specific genelock. The design is Primogen itself but the gene-key could technically be any race if someone else had their hands on the matrix."

"er-But you got the algothingies right? You can crack it open?"

"Not gently master. The genelock is on a limited timeloop, I spend too many cycles on one iteration and I get booted out and the cipher resets. I could brute force it-overload each iteration with every possible entry at the same time and overload it; but this is Primogen technology. I might...break it if I do. I don't know what will happen to Mako's existing personality or the dormant one if that happens."

"It's alright. I don't think I'll accompany you on this mission captain. I don't think I should be on this ship when you enter Primogen space actually. There are too many variables and too many risks to myself and the crew."

Right, we'll look for Primogen security AI-Keys while we're down there. But keep Mako on standby in case we need Primogen tech that isn't trying to kill us.

>>949308
Alright Mako. Let's set up somewhere safe for her to stay while we're out there.
I wish there was some clue as to who has the key to this thing. ...wait, can we change the genelock?

I don't like the idea of leaving you alone when Janu knows about you and might try and snag that crown again. Maybe we can ask a Primogen for help with the tech. Our contact seems willing to talk, at least.

Unfortunately we still need a medic on standby. Remain on the ship inconspicuously.

Okay, what safe locations off-ship do we know?

"Is there a way to safely shut her down for a little bit, or at least cut off enough access and transmission that there's nothing for Primogen to connect to while we're there? I'll talk to Rocket about any physical solutions we might have, but anything that doesn't require Mako to sit in the time-out corner of empty space in an escape pod or something would be excellent."

"Also, Imma go ahead and just order you not to refer to me as "master." Call me Ty. Or if you gotta use a title, I'd prefer something less formal, like uh... boss, maybe? "Boss" might be fine."

>>949340
But 'Master' is cute, and lets us know who's speaking in big conversations...

Baron 2019/11/13(Wed)14:50 No. 949422 ID: 29988a
File 157368541065.png - (165.66KB , 1400x1050 , 95.png )

"Okay first off Basmati, last time I'm saying this. Stop calling me master. I'm sick of this. Call me boss, captain, I don't care, as long as it isn't master. Alright?"

"Daddy?"

"Okay now you're just fucking with me.As for you Mako, no can do. We don't know any safe off-ship locations and we need a medic."

"But cap-"

"Look I know this whole crown thing is freaking you out, but we'll get help. Heck maybe this Primogen will even help, we don't know what'll happen. Till then, you stay on the ship. Just...inconspicuously. Alright? Don't start preaching doom before we even get there okay? You're my crew, I look after ya, remember?"

"...thank you."

"Uh...yeah."

Baron 2019/11/13(Wed)14:51 No. 949423 ID: 29988a
File 157368546910.png - (178.09KB , 1400x1050 , 96.png )

"Uh I can explain."

"Yeah I'm sure you can. I just don't care. Get out of my workshop."

Baron 2019/11/13(Wed)14:52 No. 949424 ID: 29988a
File 157368552167.png - (378.89KB , 1400x1050 , 97.png )

"Ty, are you sure these are the right coordinates?"

"Course it is. It was right the last time."

"Yeah but this is null space, nothing is out here."

Baron 2019/11/13(Wed)14:52 No. 949425 ID: 29988a
File 157368556503.gif - (2.01MB , 1400x1050 , 98.gif )

"Gods dammit..."

"Oooh that's big"


This is The Fury of the Martyred Saints Knows no Equal in the Honored Halls of House Sallastra speaking to the speck to the starboard side of my vessel.


"The hells?! They just hijacked our commlink! I didn't even turn it on yet!"

"Um. This. This is Tybalt of"

I know who you are. I am Second Vastus Mastula of Sallastra. Our mutual contact has arranged our meeting. You shall dock in Bay 2 of my vessel and shall we shall meet in two hours and two minutes time as tradition dictates. Additionally, as you are the guest, you are required to bring your second aboard as tradition dictates. I shall await you both.

Uh captain? Del here. I'm at the gun controls and, well I just got locked out. Everything's shutting down. What's going on up there?

"We're getting pulled into the ship's docking bay."

"Ty if this is a trap where they kill us, I'm killing you first!"

If this was a trap where they'd kill us they'd have done so already. They could have opened all the airlocks or something.

>>>949422
Call him 'onii-chan':P

> Second Vastus Mastula, Bay 2, two hours and two minutes, second aboard...
Someone's a control freak...
Or maybe his mother is 2!

> What do
Start covertly hacking into THEIR systems and build an escape route as plan B.

Please don't threaten to kill me while we're meeting with them, okay Rocket? Because they're asking for you. To come aboard their ship. Full of working Primogen technology. Focus on that instead.

>>949425
Haven't even met the guy and it's obvious he has an ego that can swallow planets. Bring Toikani along. Mastula won't be able to tell who our second in command is and I'm sure Toi will love the 'culctural enrichment'

Baron 2019/11/17(Sun)10:38 No. 949740 ID: 482fee
File 157401590052.png - (483.22KB , 1400x1050 , 98.png )

"If this was a trap where they'd kill us they'd have done so already. They could have opened all the airlocks or something. Please don't threaten to kill me while we're meeting with them, okay, I don't think that would make us look good in-WOAH! That hat is like a penis!"

"I greet you honored outsider, as is tradition for meetings such as this. As it must be done, so it has been done. I am Second Vastus Mastula of Sallastra, owner of this vessel, host to your ingress, and Tolerant to your presence. As is must be done, so it shall be done outsider you shall now declare yourself and your second so as this meeting shall be properly conducted. You have already failed in this regard, though I am not surprised as you are an outsider. For I see more than two, I see mutliple additions to two. This cannot abide. I request that the captain declare the second so that we may continue this meeting."

"What?"

"He wants your name and to tell him which one of us is coming with you aboard."

I'm Tybalt, prince of Catface, scion of the house of Mohrs
This here's my adjutant and machinist, Jamraca.

We expect your utmost hospitality.

You should probably introduce yourself seriously, and bring Rocket.

Yeah, we can make fun of these guys behind their back all we want, but we should avoid fucking around when they're right in front of us, except when we're deliberately trying to piss them off, but especially when the Primogen in question is the one that's supposed to be paying us. Introduce yourself by full name, along with Rocket.

I say bring Basmati along. She can get a sample look at their tech.

Baron 2019/11/19(Tue)16:40 No. 949900 ID: 482fee
File 157421043320.png - (227.64KB , 1400x1050 , 99.png )

"I'm Tybalt, prince of Catface, scion of the house of Mohrs. This here's my adjutant and machinist, Jamraca."

"It's amazing that you have no idea what half those words mean but you still remember how to use them."

"hush!"
"We expect your utmost hospitality."

"Names have been exhanged, our meeting shall commence in full."

"Whoa what's-"

"Hnng!"

"Please brace yourself, and stay close. Everything upon my vessel is controlled by thought-impulse. I know Imperials do not possess this yet, thus nothing here would respond to you. Our meeting would experience great delay if you were to be lost with no means of accessing my ship's communications array."

"Yeah. Sure. So uh, our mutual friend said something about a colony going dark?"

"Correct, my house has great investment in funding and people in the colony designated Pearl-of-the-Saints. Acquisitions and Reclamations has long been attempting to seize power and control away from the houses and move authority to the Central Protectorate and the House of Inquisition. I will not allow the meddlesome bureaucrats to place my House upon the altar of progress. I desire information. Information as to what has occurrence upon the colony, and if possible, damning evidence of the crimes of the Central Protectorate. For my desires, I require the aid of outsiders, those who are not part of the established system created by the House of Reason, thus to guarantee no evidence of outside tampering be traced back to my or my venerable House. This is the purpose of your continued existence upon my vessel and why you and your crew are tolerated in my presence."

"Uh...okay."

"I sense queries. I fear you are not as informed as I had hoped, though that is a fault that lies with myself for expecting something of lesser beings. If there is anything of this operation you do not understand, do so now, as I desire the time you spend upon my vessel to be kept to a minimum."

>Pearl-of-the-Saints
Any significance to the name? What was the purpose of this colony?
>if possible, damning evidence of the crimes of the Central Protectorate.
It sounds like they have motive, but is this their usual tactic?
>I fear you are not as informed as I had hoped
We aren't. Is this the only event of its type, or have other houses reported somthing similar?

Translation: This guy's fam has sunk a lot of money and manpower into the colony. These other guys have been trying to seize the colony in some manner for a while and is generally douchey to all the families in the name of centralization. This guy wants you to head in there and figure out A) What happened, and B) Whether it was the centralizing douches' fault (get evidence if "yes"), and all without tracing it back to him.

I've got two main questions.
"Since all this tech is alien to us, we wouldn't know where to begin searching, so could you maybe point us in the right direction for that?"

"Will getting around the colony also be difficult for the same reason we can't get around your ship ourselves, and if so, do you have any solutions we can use?"

Baron 2019/11/24(Sun)00:20 No. 950260 ID: 482fee
File 157458360168.png - (208.83KB , 1400x1050 , 100.png )

Midterm finally behind me. Back into it!

"Any significance to the name? What was the purpose of this colony?"

"All worlds have significance to their name. None that an alien would understand. You simply do not comprehend the complexities of Primogen culture to understand the effort that goes into the naming of a world and how it aligns with the names of each orbital station, city, and building upon the surface. As for the purpose, the Central Protectorate claimed it to be simply another colony, a slow expansion into our birthright as it should be, as it will. However, the choice for a moon was odd. The planet was more suitable but it was declared off limits by the Protectorate for the safety of the Primogen. Additionally my agents working on the colonization project noted irregularities within the colonization protocols. Necessary supplies would be delayed while far too many weapons for a colony were coming in on priority shipments. Ships listed with full cargo would have manifests that didn't match their capacity, far too many caste-less were being immigrated than was necessary. And then. They went silent. Soon after, all communication with the colony ceased."

"This hush hush stuff. Usual tactic for the Central Protectorate?"

"No, it's a usual tactice for the House of Inquisition. It's hard to tell who controls who these days. The House of Inquisition is supposed to answer to the Central Protectorate, but often it's the Command-Select of the Inquisition who holds the Protectorate by a leash."

"Alright Masturba, On to the actual mission:How are we getting down there since it sounds like it's locked up all tight. Also, since all this tech is alien to us, we wouldn't know where to begin searching, so could you maybe point us in the right direction for that?"

"To answer your first point, I will help you in. There is one means the patrol fleet does not monitor and that shall be your means of entering the colony. When you are ready to leave, you may leave in much the same manner. It will make sense when you see it. I doubt you'd understand if I explained it now. Your objective will be the Hall of Administration, the first structure, and core of every colony, as it is as it should be. All records shall be located within the Central Tower or Recollection. You shall locate all you require there."

"Okay, but will getting around the colony also be difficult for the same reason we can't get around your ship ourselves?"

"That I find doubtful. Pearl-of-the-Saints was still a budding colony, and the technology that is so commonplace on other worlds rightfully claimed by the Primogen was not yet imported. It is a lengthy process, requiring cooperation from multiple houses-"

"Yeah, uh, so are we going to have issues-ow!"

"Don't interrupt!"

"I cannot anticipate what you will find. If you find scions of the Houses still alive, they will no doubt find your presence hostile. Therefore, as much as it pains me to allow an alien to touch it, I shall allow you to bear a token of House Sallastra. It shall identify you as a tolerated guest of Sallastra to Primogen outside my house, and my agent to members of House Sallastra. Additionally it should negate Dispersion fields equipped by Primogen armed forces so whatever weapons you have will not be completely useless."

"Di-dispersion field?"

"Yes, without my token, your weapons would cease to function, or if they were primitive combustion, fail to ignite."

"I'll just take that then and-"

"Once I have your guarantee you will find what I desire. I must say this 'enlightening' conversation has shaken my faith in your abilities."

"Oh you can't be serious."

"With aliens I always am."

"Look, I know I'm not the most polite guy around, but you wouldn't be asking for someone like me in the first place if you had any other options. Surely, you were prepared for outsiders to not have the same level of perfectness as the Primogen? Or did I actually catch you off-guard with how I'm acting?"

We'll investigate it. That's what you brought us in for. You have our word on that. We'll forward any evidence we find.

Whether it's what you desire isn't part of the job. If you don't, that's a job for Primogen tech, not freelancers. Creative writing isn't our bag, anyway.

Baron 2019/11/26(Tue)14:07 No. 950432 ID: 482fee
File 157480603203.png - (418.18KB , 1400x1050 , 101.png )

"Look, I know I'm not the most polite guy around, but you wouldn't be asking for someone like me in the first place if you had any other options. Surely, you were prepared for outsiders to not have the same level of perfectness as the Primogen? Or did I actually catch you off-guard with how I'm acting?"

"...smooth."

"Unfortunately you are correct. As much as it disgraces me to consider it, you are my only chance at exposing the corruption within the Central Protectorate."

"Great! So how do I switch this thing on and off? Does it have a button or do I rub the glowy thing in the middle?"

"You probably don't want to do that."

"This meeting is concluded. As it is, as it must be."

"What do you mean by"

Baron 2019/11/26(Tue)14:08 No. 950433 ID: 482fee
File 157480608255.png - (339.14KB , 1400x1050 , 102.png )

"Oh. That's what he meant. So now we know Primogen got some crazy teleporter tech too. Hey Rocket, you think I can work his teleporty thingy with this?"

"Why the fuck are we moving?! Jamarca to bridge! What the hells is going on out there?!"

Oh Rocket you're back? Did something happen? Cause we just got booted out of the ship.

Baron 2019/11/26(Tue)14:08 No. 950434 ID: 482fee
File 157480609485.png - (317.48KB , 1400x1050 , 103.png )

Aaaand we can't really do anything since he's hitting us with some kinda beam. None of the systems are responding.

"Oh. Was this because of what I said?"

"You did call him Masturba."

You're not smited. That's a good sign.

Your client wants you to begin this quest immediately. And by immediately, I mean 'take a five minute tea break, an hour to pray, a 45-minute shower, and a ten minute speech'. So prep up for exactly two hours and then hit the launch button on the dot.

>>950439
Honestly this is reasonable.

No reason we can't Shower and hang out with Rocket Pray at the same time, though.
Otherwise we can do something analog, like check and gather our gear.

Baron 2019/11/29(Fri)23:13 No. 950566 ID: 482fee
File 157509800649.gif - (278.71KB , 1400x1050 , 104.gif )

"Aaaaalright then. Uhhh. Take five everyone, looks like we're gonna-"

To those aboard the speck Guts and Glory. Prepare for Warp-shot.

"Wait what? I mean" Wait what?

The only means of entrance the patrol fleet does not monitor is the meteor collection net. If your ship travels at high enough speed, the fleet will assume you to be another piece of space debris, that you are, and ignore your presence. If my trajectory is correct, you will be trapped within the collection net.

What do you mean 'if'?!

Firing.

Baron 2019/11/29(Fri)23:14 No. 950567 ID: 482fee
File 157509809072.png - (29.24KB , 1280x1024 , end.png )

"FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"

"I AM GOING TO MURDER YOU!"


Sorry for the long update just to end it. I'm still working on preparing the civ game, and it's eating up more time than I thought. Balancing between that and work has been a chore by itself, but hopefully I'll have something ready by the weekend.

Looks like Teaym Rocket is blasting off again.
Everyone who called you detritus was secretly a prophet.

Thanks for time spent on this, and see you on the next rodeo !

Alright Civ Game's up and running, for better or worse!

https://questden.org/kusaba/quest/res/950696.html