>>207756
Poke a small white dot.

Push the button, Ruby.

Blink.

>>207756
Turn on the lights, silly.

Follow along with the other tiny gnats in your endless dance around the two spotlights.

Two bigger dots, attack and eat the smaller dots for their nutrients.

Reach out and touch the lights.

Velesi 2010/07/14(Wed)12:11 No. 207767 ID: c33cc8
File 127913467665.jpg - (62.50KB , 850x680 , 2.jpg )

>>207761

"Lights on."

>>207758

Er... Who's Ruby?

>>207762
>>207764

What.

Um.

You seem a bit disjointed today, Victor. Even more so than usually.

Get me a mirror.

Sup.

We're broken. Er, I'm broken. I need maintenance.

Velesi 2010/07/14(Wed)13:04 No. 207779 ID: c33cc8
File 127913785418.jpg - (35.16KB , 340x282 , 3.jpg )

>>207768

I doubt that would be very useful.

>>207772

Well, isn't that just wonderful. Especially since I have no idea how to repair you.

Wonderful. Our...My memory seems to have been reset. What is my function?

hrmmmmmm. interesting. it seems our memory is shot. we kinda have no idea who you are or what is going on.

>memory seems to have been reset
You're probably a Künstler from Mars, fight against increasingly bigger and badder cybernetic monstrosities until you remember the Übergeheimnis techniques.

>>207779
I or we should still function decent despite being a bit broken, mainly seems like our memory got flushed, probably some sort of maintence thing.

So, what's going on? What and who are you? Also what do you normally do and what can we do to help you do it?

Velesi 2010/07/14(Wed)14:25 No. 207818 ID: c33cc8
File 127914270750.jpg - (32.68KB , 452x323 , 4.jpg )

*Yawn*

>>207780
>>207781

Well, you're an... you're supposed to be an artificial intelligence. Made by humans, from what I hear. Your designation is VD035. I'm told that's Victor-Delta-035 in the humans' phonetic alphabet. That's where Victor comes from.

Um... Is that still okay? I've kinda grown used to it.

>>207782

I have no idea what you just said.

>>207798

I don't think this is supposed to happen. You don't normally contain several different voices.

As to what I use you for, I must confess you're usually just a very expensive calculator-notebook combo. There hasn't been anything much to do lately, so I've been working as a repairwoman. I think I can handle that without a highly sophisticated AI.

...

I require coffee.

So, like we said, our memory's gone. Do tell us about yourself. Perhaps, what happened to your arm?

I think we can at least remember your name. Velesi, right?

You might just want to go over the morning routine. Brush, shower, coffee, clothes, etc.

Oh. And is there any big problems that need solving? I have a feeling there soon will be if there isn't.

>>207818
Victor works.

If we're not supposed to be fragmented, then something is wrong and it'll probably blow up in our collective faces. Be on your guard.

>>207818
Tea is the superior choice by far.

So anyway, we were made by humans then. Those dicks probably made us so that we would break after a set amount of time and force you to buy a new one. Or we're so old that the original one went crazy and fractured into fragments without memory.

Anyway, that is a nice arm you have there. Did you lose it in an accident or was it something else that made you get a replacement?

>>207828
Like tyrannical governments to overthrow, or alien races bent on killing or enslaving everyone?

Basically anything that may be plot relevant.

>>207831
Hell naw, coffee all the way. Tea is for pansies and brits.

>>207835
The Turks liked tea, the Moguls liked tea, the chinese liked tea, the japanese liked tea. Hell I'm sure even Timur the lame enjoyed a nice cup of tea while he was having an entire city massacred in front of him. Vlad Tepes probably also liked some tea while he was nailing the turban to the head of a turkish diplomat (Mehmet the II thought that was a great joke by the way) and Kublai Khan probably had some nice chinese blends while he was eating with his friends on a platform built on the bodies of russian generals.

The moral of the story. Badasses and badass cultures fucking love tea. So get with the fucking program and dump that nasty coffee shit and enjoy a nice cup of hot and strong dark tea.

You should be aware that we think we're part of a story-telling game.

Yay! We're around someone with boobies! And a lovely pair at that.

Velesi 2010/07/14(Wed)15:25 No. 207870 ID: c33cc8
File 127914631661.jpg - (54.57KB , 419x387 , 5.jpg )

>>207827

Velesi, yeah. Vel for short.

I lost the arm in an accident. One of the risks of the job, I guess. But hey, free robot arm. So I'm not complaining.

>>207831

Tea? You really are broken, aren't you?

>>207835

These are words of wisdom.

>>207859

Why, thank you.

>>207828
>>207834

There's nothing really big to worry about right now. Oh, except the unstoppable monstrosity intent on annihilating my entire species. I don't think anyone expects me to solve that problem, though.

>>207844

I'm not sure how you know that if your whole memory is gone. Then again, you could be wrong. I wouldn't know.

And the point is kind of moot, anyway, since tea is not exactly readily available at the moment.

Aaaand there's problem number one. No sugar.

>>207870

Well, good luck not getting picked to stop it.

Also, drink the coffee black, you pansy.

>>207870
sugar's for pansies, eat coffee raw like a MA- Like a WOMAN!

>>207870
What the fuck? You need sugar in your beverage and complain about tea not being superior to coffee? Now I'm really disappoint in your grittiness.

And we have access to a database of knowledge. Just not a very up to date database. Like for instance we have alot of human history and possibly ancient pop culture references down, but we have no idea what kind of species you are. Except that you look like something that humans would create in genetic experiments.

Oh, and what is that unstoppable monstrosity? And has it struck against anyone else before?

>>207875
I like coffee like I like my women...
With milk.

Meh. Still, drinking black coffee is good. Wakes you up.

best why to stop something un stoppable is with some immovable. or a black hole. black hole can stop just about anything. if it doesn't then use another.

Hey. Don't tempt fate. You say that and then you're sent falling face first into adventure with guns, and explosions, violence, and low survivability odds...

Err. What are you, anyway?

>>207870
Our database has a lot of random, possibly incorrect information in it.

Hey, what's this about a monster? Explain, please.

Velesi 2010/07/14(Wed)16:10 No. 207919 ID: c33cc8
File 127914903877.jpg - (27.03KB , 271x214 , 6.jpg )

>>207874
>>207875
>>207879

Black it is.

>>207880

Brilliant. I wonder why we never thought of that in all the centuries we've been on the run.

>>207877

You really have changed. You seem more like a person than a computer program now. Well, several persons, but you know what I mean.

>>207884

I've seen movies too, you know. But seeing as nukes and heavily armed fleets do nothing to the thing, I think the Admiral won't send a repairwoman to stop it.

I'm an Avandrus. I'm no historian, but I can tell you what every child knows.

First, there was the Avanesh Empire. It was this really big empire founded by us. Then, some unknown menace started destroying the empire. They say it made the sun of our home planet go supernova. Someone in the border regions got the idea of gathering everyone he could find and getting the hell out of dodge.

Only, the menace never stopped chasing us. So the descendants of those survivors are still running.

And that's the gist of it.

>>207877

More like humans look like something we would create in genetic experiments. If we had the time, anyway. We've been around much longer than them.

>>207919
You've been running for centuries? Sounds like it's not very fast. Or it isn't omniscient.

got any recordings of it? if not then it may not be real thing. regardless, it would need a reason to kill you. even if it's a stupid one of 'i hate them'. a thing without reason wouldn't of followed you so long.

>>207919
Hmm, that is quite an interesting coincidence. So what are humans up to these days?

By the way, did you somehow loose your arm to that thing?

Has there been any indication on why this unknown menace is targeting you specifically? Any species you fucked over royally in the past or something like that?

Are there any other races except yours and humans?

>>207919

How did you end up with a human-built AI?

Velesi 2010/07/14(Wed)17:11 No. 207967 ID: c33cc8
File 127915271823.jpg - (41.81KB , 333x378 , 7.jpg )

>>207921

Well, when you're jumping from place to place faster than light, it's pretty hard even for a sun-destroying monster to catch you. It does always seem to know where we are, and it moves at a pretty respectable pace considering it doesn't have any kind of jump drive our technology can notice.

Anyway, I'm off to get some sugar. I can drink my coffee without it, but I might need it for something else.

>>207927

Yeah, they say someone used to come up with that idea every few generations. Then we just decided to put death row inmates in an airtight box and leave them behind. Anyone who thinks the thing after us might not be real can just watch the executions through the video cameras we leave nearby.

>>207933

No, I didn't lose my arm to it. I think something that can destroy suns could kill me just as easily as take my arm. I'll tell you how I lost it in a minute.

We have no idea why the thing is after us, really. The Imperial Avandri were kind of dicks, though, so it's possible they fucked with something they shouldn't have.

>>207936

Just us and the humans. The humans pretty much rebuilt the Avanesh Empire after we gave them the jump drive. They call it the Commonwealth, now.

>>207937

I bought it from a human trader when the fleet stopped at a human planet a couple of years ago.

>watch the executions through the video cameras
So you know how it looks like then? Tell us, we can handle the truth.
>The humans pretty much rebuilt the Avanesh Empire
So I gather you guys are close allies? Neato.

Do you have anything planned or any work to do today?

>>207967
The monster isn't bothering with the humans?

Has anyone tried getting them to investigate it?

>>207967
Did the imperials ever try genocide of a star traveling species? Even if it's just low level star drives that can come back and seriously bite you in the ass if you don't get them all.

Anyway, do the humans offer any kind of aid to the fleet? I guess things might be a bit hard when you're constantly on the run and when you attract something that destroys stars you're not likely to be the most popular people around.

>>207967

That trader, his name wouldn't happen to have been Hassan would it?

Hey, uh...What exactly am I stored in?

I'm really sorry I'm being so schizophrenic today, Vel. I'm just not feeling like "myself." I'm feeling...like "ourselves."

>>208000
stop talking like you are in charge.

>>208001
You're me, and I'm you. I think. We were a single AI the day before, right? I'm not in charge, but, I'm still me, and you are me, and I am you, and you are you.

We are arguing with ourself.

>>208002
well the stop getting all weird about it. we are separate. no need to get into the details. just know that it doesn't matter at all what we are or were. you are the only one thinking about this too hard.

>>208003
What's the point of self-awareness if we don't want to be aware of our self?!

Paused Velesi 2010/07/14(Wed)18:36 No. 208038 ID: c33cc8
File 127915779372.jpg - (41.90KB , 543x386 , 8.jpg )

No-one's around. That's good.

>>207981

Well, you can't really see the monster, but you can certainly see what it does. In all the executions I've watched, some invisible force tears through the ship and rips the inmates apart. It's very gruesome.

There's nothing I have to do today. Nothing really needs repairing around here. First time for everything, I guess.

>>207986

Yeah, it seems to leave humans alone. No-one knows why.

In fact, humans have investigated the thing. None of their devices picked up anything. Even when they observed an execution, they saw nothing. It's completely invisible.

>>207987

I don't know about genocide, but the Empire had no qualms about wiping entire planets clean of life when they rebelled. I think it's safe to say they wouldn't have been very diplomatic when meeting a new sentient species.

>>207981

I should probably just buy you a history textbook or something.

When I said the humans rebuilt the empire, I meant they just conquered all the habitable planets left behind and reverse-engineered most of our technology. We didn't really take part in it, what with the whole "running for our lives" thing.

The humans don't really bother us much, but they don't help us either. Of course, some planets are more hostile than others, but they all know we have much bigger guns than them.

>>208000

You mean physically? You're in my arm. The metal one. It seemed like a place where you'd be the least likely to be smashed if someone hit me with a baseball bat or something.

We can talk and you can see because you're connected to my brain.

>>208001
>>208002
>>208003
>>208004

I am so confused right now.

>>208038
Confusion is a pretty normal state of affairs when you discover that several new people have taken up residence in your noggin.

Hmm, there aren't by any chance any strange humans that have decided to tag along with your flottilla? Humans can do some pretty weird shit at times for some pretty god damn strange reasons.

Oh, and beware of strange things attacking while you're out shopping. I mean it shouldn't happen, but it just might. So it's better to be prepared, or atleast make up a few mental plans for it.

>>208038
What happens to those who have decided to move into human colonies? Does the invisible force track them down and kill them as well? Does it cause any harm to the colony in the process?

>>208038
We're in your arm...
oh god... if you've shlicked with this arm... aww go...

actually... do we have control over your arm?

but yeah. welcome to mechanically induced schizophrenia. We're gonna have to live together now.

An invisible monster that only attacks your people and travels at approximately the speed of light away from the point where your sun went supernova. Fascinating... and humans have tried to detect it, but all they detect are your criminals getting eviscerated? Hmm...

Does the artist has a PGP key? I want to run an idea past them privately before posting it publically.

>>208096
pretty sure no one but you has one, cause you paranoid

Velesi 2010/07/15(Thu)07:52 No. 208477 ID: c33cc8
File 127920556853.jpg - (48.70KB , 478x280 , bums are funny.jpg )

>>208096

No, I don't.

Hey, a bum. You don't see a lot of those around here.

>>208047

Yeah, there are a few humans aboard. Many of them are Commonwealth spies, but some really do want to live here.

And I may have misled you when I said I was going to get sugar. I'm actually going to make sugar. I'll explain when I get there.

>>208054

Yeah, that's been tried too. No matter how far you get from other Avandri, it always finds you. The damage it does seems to depend on how many Avandri are around. If there's only one, it might just kill him and leave everything else unharmed. The other extreme would be the supernova that killed our home planet.

>>208073

This topic makes me very uncomfortable. I haven't actually... you know... with the arm. Cold metal claws don't sound very... enjoyable.

Er...

Moving on!

You can't control my arm. You just happen to be inside of it.

I'm actually kind of used to a voice inside my head, but you seem kind of... I don't know. Aw, hell, going to the bathroom is going to be really fun now. I just know it.

That's it, I'm definitely making an off switch for you when I get home.

>>208477
An off switch sounds like quite a good idea.

So, this flottila you're on. How many ships do you have and how many people are on board it? Also how do you get your supplies? Hydroponics ships and similar or trading?

By the way, has there been any research into the similarities between your species and the humans? Because there seems to be quite a few of those.

>>208477
Even genetic species reassignment doesn't work?
Wow, you're fucked.
If these are some kind of dark matter entities then I'm going to be rather upset.

Look at the bum newspaper and see if there any interesting headlines.

Is there anything interesting to do in this city/spaceship or whatever it is?

>>208483
Man, this is what happens when you mess with the C'tan.

Velesi 2010/07/15(Thu)08:37 No. 208488 ID: c33cc8
File 127920826619.jpg - (53.37KB , 478x280 , 10.jpg )

>>208484

I'd rather not get any closer to that guy. He stinks.

>>208482

Yeah, us and the humans seem a bit too similar to have just evolved independently on completely different planets. I'm no expert on xenobiology, though.

The fleet consists of 70 or 80 ships. Put together, there are around 4 million Avandri on them. The fleet has everything from huge cityships of almost a million people to small rockets that can barely house twenty people.

The ship I'm on is the Stalwart Guardian, the second largest ship in the fleet. It's basically just a city encased in metal and with some engines strapped on.

We get supplies from- hey.

That guy seems to be in a hurry.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!"

Oh. It's the pigs.

>>208488
Stick your leg out and trip the perp.

>>208488
Trip his legs.

So, do you have any factory ships? Or any way of buying or constructing new ships? Because the fleet should probably consider increasing your numbers a bit. 4 million people isn't that much to resettle a planet with if you can ever get rid of that monster.

Velesi 2010/07/15(Thu)08:54 No. 208492 ID: c33cc8
File 127920926584.jpg - (47.44KB , 478x280 , 11.jpg )

>>208490
>>208491

I'm going to trip that guy so hard his grandchildren will have trouble standing up. Wait, does that make sense? Nevermind.

And-

BLAM

Whoa. That looks fatal.

"Boom. Headshot."

Oh Neshrim. That had better not be who I think it is.

>>208492
Damn, that seems a bit excessive. Especially when you just have 4 million people left. Is it common that criminals get gunned down in the open and people open fire in public place? Because that really seems like something you shouldn't be doing inside of spaceships.

>4 million people isn't that much to resettle a planet with if you can ever get rid of that monster.
I heard of some dudes who tried it with way less individuals.

So are you living in some kinda fascist police state? Better stay put then and don't give them a reason.
>Oh Neshrim. That had better not be who I think it is.
Whom do you mean the dead guy or the shooter?

>>208492
Who is it?

Velesi 2010/07/15(Thu)09:39 No. 208497 ID: c33cc8
File 127921196759.jpg - (48.79KB , 421x426 , 12.jpg )

It's him. Crap.

>>208493
>>208495

Well, it is a bit excessive. Guardians arent' really supposed to even carry firearms. They have tazer guns for subduing criminals. The ship isn't really in all that much danger when you use pistol or rifle caliber bullets, though.

>>208496

It's, well...

Victor, meet... my brother. If he seems like a lunatic, it's because he is.

"Hey, what's up? Haven't seen you in a while."

To tell you the truth, I've been trying to avoid him lately, but I'm not gonna admit it to him.

>>208497
Is that a mosin-nagant he's using? Damn, he must have paid quite a bit for one of those, they're antiques. Wonder if it's the rifle of Simo Häyhä.

Anyway, say hi to your brother and tell him that he should cover your dry cleaning bill from that. And ask him if that was really necessary.

You have to be a bit more specific about the fact that your brother is walking around topless and shooting people dead with an ancient human rifle. I'm no one to pry into family matters but that kinda behavior seems unusual to me.

>>208497
Call him out on his homicide. Something along the lines of "The fuck is wrong with you?"

Velesi 2010/07/15(Thu)10:15 No. 208506 ID: c33cc8
File 127921411176.jpg - (49.81KB , 478x280 , 13.jpg )

>>208499

I have no idea where he got that rifle or why he uses it instead of something more modern. I guess it never really occurred to me to ask him.

>>208503

"What. The fuck. Are you doing."

"This heartless monster was jaywalking right outside my house. No-one breaks the law on my watch."

"Are... are you fucking serious?"

"Of course not. I walked in on him dealing some Elysium to teenagers. Fucking peddler. I would have just arrested him, but he tried to shank me."

He grins. I have no idea how someone this fucked up got accepted to the city guard.

"I'm going to let you in on a secret. I was actually aiming much lower than that, but then you went and tripped him. Thanks for that, by the way. Comedy gold."

Fuck. I just killed that guy.

>>208501

I'm hesitant to ask him, but...

"Why are you shirtless?"

"Oh yeah. I got some Elysium on my shirt. Had to get rid of it before the fumes got to me. Even so, I'm feeling kind of tipsy."

I'm still uncertain if you're now participant of a crime or if "justice by madmen" is an accepted course of action among your people.

If he's the messed up version of a cop in your society you two should call a clean-up team and go for a beer.
Otherwise the situation's gonna be complicated.

>>208506
Naw, you didn't kill him. Any sane cop wouldn't have been discharging weapons on public transit where there are so many innocent bystanders who could be harmed by a stray shot.
This guy should be brought up on charges of reckless endangerment, at the very least.

>>208506
You should probably check up on that bum. Sleeping through a weapons discharge in a tight space is not very normal. Dude might need help.

Anyway, hardly your fault that guy died. Your brother pulled the trigger. You were just doing you civic duty in trying to stop a criminal. By the way, do you have to stay to file a report and stuff? Or can you get on with your errands, after you have gotten cash from your brother for the drycleaning.

By the way, could you ask him how he came over such an ancient rifle and where he keeps finding bullets for it?

Could you fill us in on Elysium and Neshrim? These terms seem to be missing from our vocabulary database. I assume it, too, was affected by whatever glitched up last night.

>>208506
Um, there should've been time to react to him being tripped. I'm guessing his reflexes are slowed due to the drug fumes.

>>208516

They have technology, goofy. He probably bought a template for the rifle ammo and makes it himself, or has someone make it for him. The rifle may very well be the same.Why, Velesi was implying that this ship has a universal constructor/nanoforge/maker/minifac of some sort. He may well have gotten the templates for free or cheap.

Velesi 2010/07/16(Fri)06:36 No. 208794 ID: c33cc8
File 127928740538.jpg - (57.09KB , 444x337 , 14.jpg )

>>208512

I... I guess you're right. No, I know you're right. I'm not thinking too clearly right now. I mean, I know my brother sometimes kills people but... I've never really... you know... actually see him do it.

>>208511

Remember when I called him a lunatic? I thought it kind of implied that the stuff he does is frowned upon in polite company.

>>208565

Neshrim was the fleet admiral and... well... you know about human history, right? She was kind of like that guy, whats-his-face, who got nailed to a cross.

Elysium is a human drug. A normal dose puts you in a hallucinatory trance for what feels like hours and really only takes around fifteen minutes. While it gradually turns your brain into pudding, every trip feels a little longer, until you finally die. There's this urban legend that if you die from Elysium, your last moments stretch out to eternity. I have no idea how they found that out, though.

>>208511

This kind of thing could very easily get my brother kicked out of the guard. He could say it was in self-defense, but it would still require a metric shitload of paperwork.

"How are you going to hide this?"

"Don't worry about it. I know a guy who knows a guy. This little mess'll sort itself out in no time. I can get your coat cleaned up, too."

>>208612

"Um... Exactly how tipsy are you feeling?"

"I think it won't affect my performance in any meaningful way. I am feeling kind of... detached, though. Like I'm watching myself on television. Nothing... nothing touches me, you know?"

That would explain why he's been so goddamn calm the whole time.

He turns the body over and oh god I did not need to see that

"Looks like he won't be getting up any time soon."

You know, a minute ago I still thought I knew what an awkward silence is. It's really getting uncomfortable in here. The train is still a couple of minutes from my stop. Something to talk about would be nice right about now.

>>208516
>>208735

This will do.

"Where'd you get that rifle?"

"Oh, you like it?" He immediately looks more alert. He always loved to talk about guns. "It's a copy of an old human design, chambered for the standard 7,25 millimeter round..."

I kind of tune him out after a while. I really have no idea what he's talking about.

>>208516

Oh hell, the bum.

>>208794
Wait a little, did you just find your brothers ass attractive?

No wait don't answer that, not important. Yeah go check on the bum. Sleeping through a weapons discharge in such tight quarters is not exactly normal unless you're very used to the sound. By the way, you should probably stay away from loud noises for the rest of the day to let your hearing recover. Unless your brother is using some quieter chemical propellant for the bullets.

Hmm, do you trust his judgment on "guys" to "sort it out"?
You're in a pretty bad situation right now. You can't just try to get away cause you're covered in the blood of a murder victim.
But helping him with covering it up isn't that awesome an idea either.

Uh, we're still some kinda computer, right? Maybe with some kinda com device? Can't we try to secretly inform the real, not drugged up, cops and hope they take care of him. You don't seem to like him anyways.

Velesi 2010/07/16(Fri)07:17 No. 208804 ID: c33cc8
File 127928987163.jpg - (26.96KB , 265x263 , 15.jpg )

>>208802

I was referring to the head of the corpse, which, as you might recall, has recently been rearranged by a bullet.

Focus. The bum.

"Hey, brother."

He looks surprised, I don't think he's used to being interrupted.

"What is it," he begins. Then he looks like he's seeing the bum for the first time. "Oh. That... I wonder how I missed that guy."

This is probably not very good.

"Either he's very soundly asleep or there's something wrong."

Now that I get closer, the smell starts to be really revolting. He smells of alcohol, but there's something else beneath it. Something sickeningly sweet.

Oh, Neshrim. I was going to check his pulse, but I already know what it would tell me.

His face is stained with dried vomit. I really don't want to think about how long he's been dead. He's already starting to decompose.

"Hmmm. I guess I could 'find' this guy in an alley somewhere after I've handled the dealer."

>>208803

I... I don't know. I guess I could tell the guard, but he's still my brother, you know? I may not like his methods, but... I can't really say I'm feeling very much sympathy towards that drug dealer.

I'm pretty confident he can pull it off. He's insane, but he's not incompetent.

>>208804
Guess it's true that you can die on a full subway and nobody will notice for hours. Thought that was just an urban legend. Although this guy might have died when the subway was nearly empty, but you would have missed it if your brother didn't shot a drugdealer before you.

Unless you want lots of complications you should probably let your brother handle this. Although it would probably be better to report it. Eh, do whatever you feel like. Don't really care either way.

Choked to death on his own vomit...

Don't report your brother. He's not playing by the book but it's not like he's a threat to society or anything. Can you look at the bum a little more? See if there's anything odd about his clothes. Like maybe, they're too FANCY.

Well, if you wanna help your brother we're into this together.
It's not like we could remove the arm from from your body and live on our own. Probably.

Can you remove your coat an fold it in a way to make the blood less visible? Anything that prevents that random people figure out what's going on can only help.
Keep an eye on your brother, he might do something stupid or stupider, considering he's drugged.

Velesi 2010/07/16(Fri)08:30 No. 208812 ID: c33cc8
File 127929423795.jpg - (43.65KB , 468x347 , not so funny anymore are they.jpg )

>>208806

This line is usually pretty empty. I guess that's why he came here.

>>208809

I can't see anything unusual about the bum, and I'm not going to look closer. I don't think you fully comprehend just how bad the smell is.

>>208809
>>208810

"Okay. I'll leave this to you."

He's still looking at the bum. I can't see the slightest hint of him noticing how bad the corpse smells.

"So be it. I believe this is your stop."

We're here. I hadn't noticed.

"You just leave and continue your day. I'll make sure you never have to worry about these two again. Oh, and leave the coat. I'll return it when I've cleaned it."

I don't see any point in disagreeing. I just want to get off this train as fast as possible.

So, uh, should I make a /questdis/ thread about this or is it too early? I'm not very familiar with the etiquette here.

Go on and make one, there's no reason not to. Ideally whip up a quick title pic so it'll be easier to recognize

Getting the the hell away from that situation is the best possible course of action.
Go in a bar, both to be seen for an at least shaky alibi and to drink a calming beer or whatever beverage you prefer.
Make sure there's no blood or anything on the rest of your clothes.

>>208812
Well the guy obviously choked on his own vomit, which usually smells pretty bad, then there is the loosened bowels and bladder, which also smells pretty bad. Then on top of that there is probably some smell of decay depending on how long he's been lying there and what level of heat and air humidity you people like. Think we can actually form a pretty good idea of just how bad it smells.

Anyway, since you don't want to get involved further just hand over your coat and get out of there. By the way, do you have any friends that you trust 100%? Because it might be a good idea to have someone to talk to later. And while you could speak to us that's not really the same as a living person.

>>208814
Pretty much whenever you feel like it. Can be a good place to explain a bit about the setting and how we can expect stuff to work.

Velesi 2010/07/16(Fri)09:27 No. 208817 ID: c33cc8
File 127929763380.jpg - (45.68KB , 600x508 , 17.jpg )

>>208815

Commencing plan "get the hell away". Leave coat, check. Check clothes for blood stains, double check. Go in a bar...

There's no bar that I know of anywhere near here. I could just do what I originally planned to. Fiddling with machines always takes my mind off my problems.

>>208816

Yeah. Yeah, I have a friend I'd trust not to tell anyone. I think I'll be alright.

So, what to do? Alcoholic beverages, sugar acquisition, or something else?

>>208817
I'd go for a beer personally.
Dunno if you're traumatized or anything, you seem relatively calm about the situation. Are you used to violent situations?

>>208817
Get sugar an alcoholic beverages. Then go to work, fiddle with machines to take your mind off things. Once evening rolls around call up your friend, drink some beer and talk about your day.

defs need a beer to take the edge off.

Processing...

Velesi 2010/07/16(Fri)10:32 No. 208829 ID: c33cc8
File 127930154229.jpg - (49.43KB , 600x564 , 18.jpg )

>>208820

Well, I said I'd never seen anyone get killed, but yeah. I know violence. My neighborhood isn't exactly the quietest place.

>>208821

Yeah, I guess I can do all three. Sugar is the closest, so let's do that.

Behold, the apex of Avandrus engineering. The Matter-Energy Converter, or MEC to her friends. Three guesses what it does.

The terminal on the left would be the easiest way to operate the machine, but we want the one on the right.

>>208829
Oooh! What kinds of stuff can it make?!

Why the right if the left is easier?
Anyways, lets check this thing out ans create some matter. I assume it's not for free?

>>208829
Oh, nice tech. What do you use for energy production? Fission? Fusion? Antimatter? Some freaky thing we have never heard of?

Anyway, you're the mechanic. Get what you want.

Velesi 2010/07/16(Fri)12:27 No. 208884 ID: c33cc8
File 127930847125.jpg - (38.77KB , 600x600 , 19.jpg )

>>208846

We use this to produce energy. MEC works both ways. That's what those Input and Output plaques on the wall mean. It's really a godsend: this way, we can just grab stray asteroids and turn them into something useful.

>>208831

Goddamn near everything. This baby can make particles we could've only ever theorized about otherwise. There's a slight catch, though. We, ah, we don't really know how to make anything but a few elements with it. And we have no clue whatsoever how the damn thing actually works. It's quite frustrating, really.

>>208833

You just answered your own question. The easiest, and to most people the only, way to make something is with the left terminal, and it costs money.

However, the left terminal is really just a program to make the right terminal do something. Since the right terminal is in Old Vendric and you have to punch in every atom individually, you can't really skip the left terminal.

Unless, of course, it is your job to know how the terminals work.

>>208884
That really is quite a bit of awesome tech. Say, did you start using this before that thing struck your home system?

>>208884
Ok, so the people who designed these things are all dead? That's just fan-fucking-tastic. Hopefully humans will figure it out and start producing and improving on them.
Meanwhile, what's your job? R&D on these things?

Cool. Can you demonstrate with salt before you do the sugar? Salt's simpler, after all.

>>208894

The MEC is an ancient piece of technology, and I mean ancient. The entire Avanesh Empire depended on these things. See, without the MEC the imperial Avandri couldn't have manufactured the exotic substances that fuel the jump drive, and thus couldn't have traveled faster than light. You can see why that wouldn't be conducive to building an interstellar empire.

It's really too bad the survivors of the empire's destruction contained no-one with any knowledge about the machines. They knew only how to make a few critical elements: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, iron and a couple of others. We haven't really expanded that list, either.

>>208897

Well, the humans probably aren't going to figure it out, since there's only one of them in existence, and we kind of need it to survive. Human scientists do visit the fleet frequently to study the machine, and almost half of our whole fleet's scientific community is trying to work out the theory behind its operation. Despite all that, we're still nowhere close to understanding it.

My job is, in theory, to find how to make new elements, but that is risky as fuck, so in practice, I just maintain the terminals.

So, sugar... That's a disaccharide. Glucose plus fructose equals...

There. Looking like a bit of a clusterfuck there, but it's still a real simple molecule compared to some others I could mention.

Velesi 2010/07/16(Fri)13:36 No. 208927 ID: c33cc8
File 12793126048.jpg - (50.90KB , 600x600 , 20.jpg )

>>208926
once more with images

>>208927
Oh geez. So, where does the output come out?

>>208926
Did your people create this thing or did they find it?

And there is a somewhat interesting experimentation I would like to see done if you can get the chance. The humans who have decided to hitch along with your flotilla, if they eat stuff from these machines as well, could you try to convince one to stay behind after the fleet jumps and see what happens to him or her?

>>208926
How is it risky? The danger of creating hard radiation that renders the output chamber a completely inhospitable waste?

The empire had more than one of these machines. There are a few possible reasons why there's just the one left:
1: All the others were on your home planet. This was not the case, as that would have crippled your fuel production.
2: The entity destroys them, meaning that these might be what they're after.
3: This is not the only one left.
Anyway, you're familiar with fullerene, right? Start producing thick sheets of carbon nanotubes - say, 1mm or so? -that are about 2dm wide and 1m long. Once you have that down you can start constructing virtually indestructible ultralight objects.

>>208935

Say yeah, why don't your people just produce diamonds with this thing?

>>208927
Wanna bet the monster is related to this ancient civilization? Like, perhaps, some intelligent force attempting to keep anyone from using the tech?

>>208954
Don't be silly, there's no way that monster would possibly show up in the fleet at a dramatic moment.

Velesi 2010/07/16(Fri)15:13 No. 208959 ID: c33cc8
File 127931842979.jpg - (50.30KB , 600x564 , 21.jpg )

>>208932

Beats me. There are hardly any records from the birth of the Avanesh Empire. Whichever it is, the imperial Avandri knew how the MECs worked and how to make more of them.

A couple of years ago, a terminally ill human volunteered to perform that experiment. Nothing happened to him.

>>208935

The MEC has the potential to be a really fucking dangerous machine. In the early days of the fleet, one fleet admiral had the idea of trying random combinations with the MEC. The legends are a bit unspecific on what happened, but one thing is certain. When the fleet left the empire, they had two MECs.

All admirals since then have valued the continued existence of the remaining MEC slightly over scientific progress.

The reason all the MECs were destroyed is probably that they were all located smack in the middle of the empire's largest cities. You remember that the more Avandri there are around, the more force the monster uses?

There is an easy way to figure out where the Avandri cities once were on our former planets. It's the huge craters left behind.

It's conceivable there could be some out-of-the-way MEC left behind, though. The humans are certainly itching to get their hands on one, but so far they have found nothing.

And we have utilized carbon nanotubes for quite some time now. I won't fault you for telling your ideas to me, but you should remember that we do, in fact, have scientists of our own.

>>208941

We did, once. We managed to make a tidy profit, too, before the value of diamonds collapsed. As you might imagine, some human traders have been a bit cross with us ever since.

>>208930

The output can be found, strangely enough, in the output chamber. It's down the corridor to the left.

>>208927

That's an interesting variant of a Lewis diagram. the "O" glyph representing hydrogen, the "X" glyph oxygen, and the "][" glyph representing Carbon. Obviously each glyph refers to the number of electron bonds each element can form and keep.

Considering they have an entire galaxy to mess around with, I'm prety sure diamonds arn't quite as rare anymore, and therefor arn't as valuable.

>>208959
Does that thing take care of the needs of the entire fleet? I'm assuming there are more input and output ports than these. Otherwise things should have gotten a bit difficult.

You didn't lose your arm in an accident related to this thing did you? Just trying to figure out how dangerous your work can be.

>>208959
>And we have utilized carbon nanotubes for quite some time now. I won't fault you for telling your ideas to me, but you should remember that we do, in fact, have scientists of our own.

Ok, so if this process can be automated to the extent that you can produce monomolecular plates then why are you designing sugar manually? Are all the preprogrammed designs stored inside the easymode box? Seems a bit inefficient, really.

Anyway, if you, personally, are familiar with fullerene, then you probably want to start constructing some fullerene armor plate.
We aren't paranoid; there are just always people out to get us.

>>208963
You did see the part where you have to pay to use the preprogrammed ones right? Entering it manually is free.

>>208964
She said they have to pay to use the simplified interface, but that didn't mean there were no other options for automated construction.

What can you tell us about Old Vendric?

Velesi 2010/07/17(Sat)08:34 No. 209284 ID: c33cc8
File 127938086742.jpg - (33.20KB , 446x268 , 22.jpg )

>>208962

There are fifteen personal input-output chambers like this one. This one is located in a poor part of the ship, so it's not used all that often. There are also five larger ones for mass production and two huge ones that are open to space.

Good guess about the arm. It was back when we were still trying to find some sort of logic to the operation of the machine. We thought we had figured out how to make tungsten, but what appeared in the output chamber was some sort of black liquid. I went to investigate, but I remember only... pain. When I woke up in a hospital, my arm was missing.

That liquid is kept in a vault on one of the fleet's laboratory ships now. They tell me they still have no idea what it is.

The fleet recompensated me, of course, but I had to pay for most of this arm myself.

>>208963
>>208964
>>208971

I could slap together some sort of program to automate the process for me, but that would probably attract unwanted attention. You see, I'm not really supposed to be doing this. It hasn't occurred to anyone to make a law agaist it, but

>>208972

It was a language used by the scientists of the Avanesh Empire. No-one really speaks it anymore. Even I know barely enough to operate this terminal.

So, uh...let's go get that sugar?

Is your arm merely an replacement or does it have any special abilities or tools.
Well, except us of course.

Velesi 2010/07/17(Sat)09:05 No. 209289 ID: c33cc8
File 12793827518.jpg - (40.21KB , 438x354 , 23.jpg )

>>209287

It's just a replacement.

>>209285

So be it. Everything is ready.

This is going to be really bright.

Velesi 2010/07/17(Sat)09:07 No. 209290 ID: c33cc8
File 127938286229.jpg - (30.96KB , 438x354 , 24.jpg )

Whoosh.

That's a rather crazy way to get some sugar.

Ow. That is bright.

Velesi 2010/07/17(Sat)09:13 No. 209293 ID: c33cc8
File 127938320012.jpg - (40.27KB , 438x354 , 25.jpg )

And there it is.

>>209291

It's a rather awesome way to get sugar.

Why did we replicate sugar anyways?
You don't look fat enough for someone who eats handfuls of sugar.

Whats about a new coat? Is that also possible with that machine.

Did they say exactly what happened to your arm? Did it burn, dissolve, disappear... what?

I wonder if the 'monster' was created in one of these devices, from someone who was trying to create an entire person via the device?

>>209293
You effectively have unlimited resources. I figured free use of the machine was a perk of the job.

So, how do you code in new elements? Could we see some known ones?

Beep. Insufficient information on the menace. Postulating that given inherent paradoxes implied with faster than light communication and travel, it may be a time storm. Proposed solution: fly head on, directly past it, faster than the speed of light.

>>209305
Humans have FTL travel as well, and it's targeting specific races.
Also, those paradoxes really only crop-up in edge cases. I really doubt they're racing exploding relativistic ships, so there isn't much sense worrying about it.

>>209311

Humans didn't "escape" the event of the destruction of the Avanesh empire. By going faster than light in the wake of total annihilation, Terezi's people effectively travelled into the past, long before the annihilation had occurred. It's easy to tell at what moment it occurred though, from any given point in space. Just wait for the light of the supernova to reach you. In escaping the event by travelling back in time (effectively) they assured that the event would be determined in their future.

The "annihilation event" can be considered to be a terrible future spreading outwards at the maximum speed of propogation, a time storm. The obvious way to escape it would be to travel faster than the speed of light past the wave front, thereby firmly establishing the annihilation event in your past, without it ever being existant in your present.

Requesting information on the effect of "the menace" on all atoms originally in the Avanesh empire. Does it tear through Avandrus ships and equipment, or does it just affect the organic parts of Avandrus? What about other species that were originally in the zone of destruction, have any followed along with you?

>>209320
that... it... do you even read your posts? the first thing to go was a STAR which was NOT going FTL. the most likely entity doing this is made of dark matter.

>>209320
Could you at least keep your crazy faggotry to the discussion thread?

>>209293
A crazy awesome way to get suger. Now lets get some beer! And later find out what code would be needed to make Kusmi blend teas.

After you got the beer I guess you should go to work. Act normal to make sure nobody gets suspicious.

How many particle accelerators is the fleet powering with the MEC to transmute the rarer elements they need?

>>209321

Disclaimer: This unit does not claim comprehensive knowledge of superrelatavistic physics. Information on the nature of FTL travel is [record missing]. A time storm is simply a wave of information propogating at the maximum speed possible. Consider that what destroyed the sun has not been postulated, but simply that FTL travel has placed that destruction in the increasingly distant future. An explanation for sourceless but timely destruction in the present is that particles engaging in FTL travel still tunnel into their already determined future, causing a repeat of said destruction in a different relativistic reference frame at the same time that the supernova's light reaches said particles.

Dark matter is largely undetectable it's true, since it only interacts with matter via gravity, but dark matter does not interact with itself either, except via gravity. Weakly interacting massive particles. Thus, dark matter would simply be a disorganized arrangement of particles, unable to form any structure or 'being' since each particle cannot interact with any of the other particles.

So, uh, what's next on the to-do list, Vel?

>>209387
1. Why does it leave humans alone then?
2. It would just have to be a very large, complex being. It's perfectly possible for a living creature to exist, even with only one interactive force. You have access to SOME records, look up a Boltzmann Brain. The "Wikipedia" subspace memory cache is a good place to find that.
3. Velesi! For the purpose of statistical calculations, what's the current age of the universe? And for the purpose of our woefully empty memory banks, can you get access to a record of the camera feeds of the executions-by-invisible-space-Cthulhu-Hitler?

Suggestion 2010/07/18(Sun)05:50 No. 209629 ID: c33cc8
File 127945745812.jpg - (41.78KB , 304x331 , 26.jpg )

>>209296

I went to get sugar just in case I needed some. It is possible to make a new coat with this thing, but without the automation it would be faster just to make some fabric and make a coat the old fashioned way.

>>209302

They don't know what happened to the arm. It just disappeared.

It is theoretically possible to make something sentient with the machine, but you'd have to know the construction of the brain down to an atom and connect all neurons manually, so it'd probably take several lifetimes.

>>209303

Our resources are actually not all that unlimited. Space is not exactly littered with stray asteroids, and we have to trade with humans on a semi-regular basis to get, for example, sulphur or chromium. But I figure I gave my goddamn arm for the fleet, so I'm entitled to some free stuff from time to time.

Every atom the machine can make corresponds to a three-digit number on the numpad of the terminal. Carbon is 402, oxygen is 153, hydrogen is 901, nitrogen is 061 and so on. As far as we can tell, every possible combination does something. Seeing as we know of only 118 elements, it is kind of a mystery what the majority of numbers does, and we haven't found any logic behind which number creates which element.

>>209385

If we could turn energy to matter with particle accelerators, we'd hardly need the MEC, now would we? The problem is that we can only make matter-antimatter pairs with particle accelerators, and those have a tendency to turn themselves back to energy.

>>209305
>>209311
>>209320
>>209321
>>209322
>>209387
>>209564

What's after us isn't a wave moving outward from the supernova, it's a single entity that is constantly making a beeline for our current location. As such, we can go around, under or over it, and also return to places we've previously visited, but it keeps chasing us. In fact, the fleet's flagship has an AI that is constantly maintaining a model of the entity's movements.

Yeah, seems to me this physics talk would be the purview of /questdis/. But that's just me. Just in case: http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/329926.html

>>209372

I did mention I had to do today, didn't I? Next step: alcohol.

spin attack!!!

>>209629
>I did mention I had to do today, didn't I?
>I did mention I had nothing to do today, didn't I?

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)05:58 No. 209633 ID: c33cc8
File 127945788048.jpg - (30.70KB , 322x333 , suddenly PLOT.jpg )

>>209631

What-

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)05:58 No. 209634 ID: c33cc8
File 127945791349.jpg - (14.54KB , 322x333 , 28.jpg )

>>209633

>>209629
There's a dude looming behind you.
Don't overreact though.
If it's the AUTHORITIES be prepared to make up some lies about needing to test the device.
If it's a LAWBREAKER give them the cyber-knuckle dance.
I guess it could be someone mundane, but that's just crazy.

Well, not fast enough apparently.
Sweet dreams.

god damn laws of plot. hope you are someplace not bad.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)06:17 No. 209640 ID: c33cc8
File 127945902051.jpg - (29.07KB , 500x500 , 29.jpg )

awake. where am i?

voices coming from outside the door. sounds like a fight.

what do i do?

carefully make your way over and look out the door.

>>209640
Everything looks kinda weird, are you ok?
Stand up and try to take a peek through the door without being seen.
Be careful though, seems like you're on a ledge or something

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)06:30 No. 209645 ID: c33cc8
File 127945981644.jpg - (31.21KB , 500x500 , 30.jpg )

no more voices. everything is silent now.

...brother?

i think your bro killed everyone here to get you back. wow.

>>209645
Is that figure your brother? Seems like he's crying or hurt. Go and look after him, but be careful. He seems quite unstable to me.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)06:34 No. 209648 ID: c33cc8
File 127946009381.jpg - (31.60KB , 500x500 , 31.jpg )

a corpse. baseball bat covered in blood. brother.

the corpse speaks.

"I'm proud of you, son."

no. this is not how it happened.

well damn,

wake up!

Aww fuck, that's not what I meant by "sweet dreams".

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)06:44 No. 209654 ID: c33cc8
File 12794606794.jpg - (30.82KB , 372x261 , 32.jpg )

>>209649

No!

...

Oh shit.

are you in a cage? why the hell?

Welp, this isn't good.

>>209654
Aw man, if you got arrested for making sugar I am going to be so pissed.

Better arrested than "accidentally" shot.

>>209654
Well, that's annoying.
Look around and see where you are.

Also: Bwah? We can see into your dreams? What madman decided we needed that deep a connection with your brain?

>>209654
Check out what kind of cell you're in. That guy your bro killed might have had better connections than your brother assumed.

Velesi. How old is the universe as we speak, to the best of your knowledge? I know you're not an astronomer, but give it a shot. Also, once we get out of here, can we get access to a visual record of the Avandri execution cameras?

>>209786
Why not just ask what year it is by the human calender?

Suggestion 2010/07/18(Sun)15:00 No. 209790 ID: c33cc8
File 127949043760.jpg - (29.40KB , 427x230 , 33.jpg )

>>209786

I don't know, a bit less than 14 billion years. Maybe we should concentrate on getting out of here first.

>>209728

What? I... that... You saw that?

"I see you're awake."

What the...

>>209788
Humanity might have a different dating system than the one that's in use in the subspace records, especially if the age of the universe is significantly older than the 14 billion years that are recorded in the subspace banks we have access to.

"yes, i am. why was i out in the first place?"

Say "Wat."

>>209790
Oh shit. That guy looks official and stuff. Ask him what it's about. Don't give out any information whatsoever, even if you think they have it.

>>209790
Thanks. Still not enough time for a Boltzmann brain, so that rules out that hypothesis.

Start demanding an attorney, or whatever rights a criminal has access to under the Avandri justice system. You obviously have been framed for something.

>>209790
Oh, hey, that puts it and our reference time (00:00:00 01/01/1970) well inside the margin of error! How wonderfully useful a question that was!
How about this: About what year is it on the human calender? It doesn't need to be exact, we just need a time and uncertainty so we can recalibrate.

Yes, we saw your dream. This is unnerving to me, as it means you've been the unwitting victim of experimentation.

"Hello. I'd expect that you already know my name, but I don't seem to know yours. Why am I here, and why did you feel the need to take me by force?"

>>209800
Er... Boltzmann brains? That entire concept is predicated on there being no possible mechanisms
capable of producing self-aware entities.
It's a thought experiment; just like time travel in the Gödel metric.

Suggestion 2010/07/18(Sun)15:31 No. 209813 ID: c33cc8
File 127949227259.jpg - (31.01KB , 427x230 , 34.jpg )

>>209802

I think the human calendar is somewhere around the year 2900.

"Hello. I'd expect that you already know my name, but I don't seem to know yours. Why am I here, and why did you feel the need to take me by force?"

"Oh yes. Questions. You are Velesi an'Evrim, MEC technician. Don't bother answering; it wasn't a question."

Oh Neshrim, what happened to his face?

"My name is irrelevant; you need to know only that I am a private contractor. You have displeased someone with enough money to buy my services."

>>209813
Any ideas what he's talking about?

"Is this one of those rape things?"

>>209813
Displeased? By making sugar? Or was it something else you did?

>>209813
"Great, whatever. What do I say or do to get out? I have shit to do."

whelp only you remember if at all. if you don't then "sorry but i have no idea who you may be talking about and can only assume it was by accident."

>>209813
Awww shit. It was probably some connections that guy your brother killed had. Like the drugdealers boss or something doesn't want it traced back to him. Or it's related to the arm incident or fucking something.

Just stay quiet until he tells you what he wants with you.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)15:56 No. 209830 ID: c33cc8
File 127949381513.jpg - (46.22KB , 412x369 , 35.jpg )

>>209814

I have no clue what this guy is referring to

"Is this one of those rape things?"

He looks genuinely offended.

"Please don't be crude, miss. It's nothing of the sort."

>>209816

"Great, whatever. What do I say or do to get out? I have shit to do."

"I'm afraid you might have the wrong impression about what it is I do, exactly. But let's check on the secondary target, shall we?"

Oh. There's another cell here.

"Eren ma'Evrim, guardian sergeant."

Fuck. Oh fuck, They have my brother too?

Shit's getting bad rapidly. Do you see any weapons on him?
You're a technician, is there any lock you might be able to crack if given a chance?
Well, except for that, try to stay as calm as possible in this situation

so whoever hired this guy has something against your whole family not just you.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)16:06 No. 209835 ID: c33cc8
File 127949439724.jpg - (47.03KB , 412x369 , 36.jpg )

>>209831

He seems to be unarmed.

"Rise and shine, Mr. ma'Evrim."

"Oh, I will."

What's he doing?

Why don't we just like...co-operate. I mean sure our new employers sure aren't being very friendly, but I don't exactly want to go picking fights here.

>>209830
Probably something related to your brother then. Go over and say hi to him. Don't get into a panic or start making random threats.

>>209835
Your brother is probably about the pull the good old "Slam the guards face into the bars, strangle him/snap his neck and steal his keys." but somehow I suspect it won't work as planned here.

>>209835
While your brother's messing with him use any and all tools you have to attempt to open the lock, or use your GIRLISH FIGURE to get through the bars.

looks like he is about to do something awesome/stupid.

>>209835
I have a question. When you said 'is this one of those rape things' did you say that knowing that we told you to do it? I'm wondering if it's a subconscious suggestion or not.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)16:32 No. 209848 ID: c33cc8
File 127949593025.jpg - (48.59KB , 412x369 , 37.jpg )

"I'm disappointed, Mr. Private Contractor. Overconfidence can be very fatal in your line of work."

Yes!

>>209840

I can't fit through the bars. This guy isn't that incompetent. I'll try to open the lock. It looks pretty simple.

>>209843

Er... yes, I did.

okay pick the lock then if he isn't head then kick him in the nads a few times.

>>209848
Get the lock open and help your brother out by giving that guy a steelhand punch to the solar plexus.

>>209848
Get the lock open and help your brother out by giving that guy a steelhand punch to the solar plexus.

Vel, the first thing you should do after we get out of here is to build a rocket punch attack into us.

Don't approach him directly from the front, he might be still be able to kick.
Just punch the side of his head with your gentle cyber-fist. After breaking out of the cell obvious.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)16:50 No. 209866 ID: c33cc8
File 127949700370.jpg - (32.01KB , 412x369 , 38.jpg )

Okay, if I just... Yes! He didn't find it.

I have some tools stashed in my arm. I think I can pick a lock with these.

"Ow fuck!"

Oh shit, what was that?

close the tool kit and look. need to time escaping just right.

>>209866
Well the guy did look like he had a saw in his hands. Might have cut your brother.

>>209835
While your brother's messing with him use any and all tools you have to attempt to open the lock, or use your GIRLISH FIGURE to get through the bars.

>>209884
Glitch there, sorry. It shouldn't surprise you that some of my wires are crossed.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)17:12 No. 209886 ID: c33cc8
File 127949836942.jpg - (48.84KB , 412x369 , 39.jpg )

>>209878

Oh man. I should probably pick the lock and quick.

>>209879

I believe you're talking about his tail.

>>209879
That was his tail, bro. Avandrus look like puppies. I just want to skritch Velesi's cute little ears~ But that's beside the point. Work fast, Velesi, and if he comes close, the fingers on the arm look hella pointy. Mess up his throat.

>>209886
"You know, for a psychotic killer you're really bad at it, bro.
So Suits, why are you here?"

PICK IT FAST! need to get him distracted.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)17:37 No. 209902 ID: c33cc8
File 127949983080.jpg - (30.97KB , 412x369 , 40.jpg )

>>209898

I'm on it.

>>209893

"You know, for a psychotic killer you're really bad at it, bro!"

He manages a chuckle.

"I'm hurt!"

"So Suits, why are you here?"

No answer. Instead, Eren says:

"He tazed me on the train before I could clean up the mess! Rrgh... Whatever his problem is, he was after us before I killed that dealer! Ow! Pissant motherfucker bastard!"

Almost... open...

>>209902
As soon as it's open go help your brother. Get that knife away from Eren's vulnerable fleshy parts.

Velesi 2010/07/18(Sun)18:01 No. 209915 ID: c33cc8
File 127950127263.jpg - (33.04KB , 362x273 , 41.jpg )

Open!

"Ah. You've escaped your cell. This is shaping up to be a tremendously bad day."

How do I go about this? I'm not really all that good at fighting.

Rocket punch!

That aside, use it as a parry/deflection weapon to keep the blade away from you, and pummel him.

You don't want to actually KILL him, right?

>>209915
Twist to the side to present him a narrow target, robot side toward him. First nail his good eye with the robot arm. Then get that knife away from him while he's distracted.

best bet would be jam a finger into the socket and poke his brain. should at least cause him to go into spasms.

>>209921
I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH, USE YOUR METAL ARM. It is a shield and weapon in one, because it is FAR tougher than flesh!

Use the metal arm to hit the knife hand as much as you can. Other than that, dodge and maybe attack with the other.

>>209915
Grab the knife hand with your prosthetic and crush it. Then yank him to your right and sock him in the kidney.

>>209922
Not a good idea. You'd only strike his frontal cortex - might disrupt though processes, likely to kill him, but he WILL react violently. Motor cortices are in the BA---
wait

That's HUMAN anatomy.... uh.

I still recommend demolishing his good eye, then grabbing the knife while he's still in OH FUCK mode.

>>209915
Usually it's bad to try to grab someone's knife because they can just stab your hand. In this case I think it's a great idea.

>>209996
Hands made of metal ARE harder to stab.

How's the strength on that robot hand, anyways? Weaker than normal? Equal? Greater?

Are you good at running?
Seriously, if he's as much of a pro as he pretends he'll fuck you up with his knife, metal arm or not.
Try to keep your distance and look for an escape route.

>>209915
Use your metal arm for protection. Depending on how much pressure you can get out of your grip you could try to grab his wrist when he attacks and break it. Then punch him out with some metal to the face.

Prepare to be injured Velesi. In a knife fight you will be cut, the goal is to avoid getting stabbed. Slashes leave scars and bleed some, but stabs are what kill.

>>209629

honestly I'm only talking about it in the context of what her AI would do at being reset. It did kind of get out of hand though.

It's not a knife fight if only one of them has the knife. Requesting escape routes.

>>209629

I didn't mean making matter from energy alone, I meant changing less useful matter into more useful matter by bombarding it with protons. That's always worked. Humans have been able to transmute lead to gold for over 1000 years. It costs too much energy to be worthwhile normally, but since you're turning useless matter into energy to start with, there would be no shortage of that.

Velesi 2010/07/21(Wed)07:57 No. 210665 ID: c33cc8
File 127972427517.jpg - (146.46KB , 1566x960 , 42.jpg )

>>209949
>>209996
>>210128

The hand is quite strong. I've never really tested it, but I think it can break bones.

The thing about the hand is I have to actively concentrate to make it do anything. No involuntary reflexes. So now that I have his hand, I'm not letting go come hell or high water.

Velesi 2010/07/21(Wed)08:00 No. 210666 ID: c33cc8
File 127972442037.jpg - (185.55KB , 1200x1080 , 43.jpg )

>>209924
>>209949

Bam.

>>210387

I'm kind of in the middle of something here!

Way to go Vel!

Now wrench it out of his hands, be sure to be wary of any hidden weapons he may have, then get him on the pointy end of the knife and interrogate.

Velesi 2010/07/21(Wed)08:11 No. 210670 ID: c33cc8
File 127972509981.jpg - (145.50KB , 1140x966 , 44.jpg )

Oof!

>>210670
Ouch, but you have an oppurtunity here if you can take it. Straighten out his knifearm and then break his elbow. That should give you the upper hand rather well and make him drop that knife.

Grab his leg and knock him onto his back.

>>210676
Not sure wrestling is going to work on this guy.

Velesi 2010/07/21(Wed)09:27 No. 210682 ID: c33cc8
File 127972964568.jpg - (93.57KB , 936x750 , 45.jpg )

>>210128
>>210669

*crack*

"AAAaAaaaH!"

Eesh. That sounded nearly as painful as it looked.

>>210682
Yeah he got bones sticking out of his hand, that should have hurt like fucking hell. He might even end up losing that hand if he's unlucky.

Go for the elbow next. He's probably not out of it yet. Once he's down one arm you can probably grab the knife and make him settle down long enough for you to get your brother out. Then you're going to have to ask that guy some questions. Like who the fuck is he working for.

Velesi 2010/07/21(Wed)10:08 No. 210687 ID: c33cc8
File 127973209474.jpg - (92.36KB , 1054x536 , 46.jpg )

>>210683

*crack* again

I think he won't be using that arm for a while.

>>210687
I get the feeling this guy is just some random thug in a cheap suit trying to act like he's a 'Professional'. You, on the other hand, seem pretty damn good, and rather cool-headed about this.

Kick in one of his knees next so he can't run. Or punch him in the face with metal-fist to stun him, -then- kick in one of his knees. Your choice.

>>210687
Ok, now give him a solid kick in the torso area to push him away while you pick you the knife in your flesh and blood hand and tell him to surrender. See if you can't handcuff his good hand to a pipe or something and then unlock your brothers cell door and see how bad he's been stabbed. Then this guy has some questions to answer.

>>210689
Let's make sure he can't try running before we back off, huh? We're beating the shit out of him, he's down one arm, and likely in extreme pain. Don't let up just yet.

>>210690
Yeah sure, take out the knee first as well. Then he's going to be rather helpless. But it would probably still be a good idea to restrain his still working arm. The guy might still have some weapon hidden away somewhere, maybe a gun.

Just cut the tendons in his leg, that'll keep him from moving around too quick.

Velesi 2010/07/21(Wed)12:41 No. 210719 ID: c33cc8
File 127974126395.jpg - (117.51KB , 1016x989 , 47.jpg )

Down you go.

Velesi 2010/07/21(Wed)12:43 No. 210720 ID: c33cc8
File 127974142196.jpg - (67.46KB , 812x640 , 48.jpg )

>>210669
>>210689

"Ah. Ahuh. That was quite painful. I think it would be, ahh, prudent to surrender right about now."

"Keys to the cells."

"On the table."

Cool. Let's grab them and leave. Killing's uncool, so let's not do that.

>>210720
Ask for handcuffs so you can handcuff him to some bars or something. Then release your brother, make sure he doesn't bleed to death and then it's time to ask this guy some questions.

Velesi 2010/07/21(Wed)13:03 No. 210728 ID: c33cc8
File 127974263063.jpg - (58.89KB , 744x706 , 49.jpg )

>>210725

"You have any handcuffs?"

"Ah, no. I expected the cells to be enough."

Whatever. I don't think he'll get away in the ten seconds it will take me to release Eren.

"Hey, brother. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry," the contractor says. "I took care not to stab Mr. ma'Evrim anywhere terribly vital."

"Yeah, I'm good."

Jailbreak complete. Eren is looking a bit predatory, though.

"I'll be even better once I get my hands on Mr. Private Contractor here."

"Call me Caril."

I have to hand it to him, he keeps his cool pretty well.

>>210689
>>210725

"So, why'd you come after us?"

"I was hired, of course."

"By whom?"

"I haven't the foggiest. Whoever it was, he neglected to mention some rather important details about you. Namely, the strength of your prosthetic arm. I can say I have no particular sense of duty towards him anymore, and I'd be delighted to help you discover his identity."

Hmm. I don't know... He seems a bit eager to help us. What other questions should I ask him?

>>210728
What was he supposed to do with you once he had captured the both of you? How much was he paid for it?

First search him for hidden weapons.
He's a contractor, not your actual enemy.
You should try to figure out who pays him. Telling him that your brother is going to question him if he doesn't cooperate might be enough to intimate him.
Also ask if he's working alone or if he got any backup.

"how hard i try to hold back my brother depends how hod good your answers are."

>>210728
What, specifically, was he hired to do?

Velesi 2010/07/22(Thu)14:51 No. 211085 ID: c33cc8
File 12798355068.jpg - (96.62KB , 1301x948 , 50.jpg )

>>210730
>>210731

A quick check confirms he has no hidden weapons.

"How hard I try to hold back my brother depends how good your answers are."

"I don't think threats are, ah, necessary at this point. I have agreed to tell you everything I know."

"Do you have any backup?"

"No."

>>210733

"What, specifically, were you hired to do?"

"The contract was to kidnap you and, if possible, your brother. I was supposed to receive further instructions later. My employer supplied me with a rather thorough report of your personalities and capabilities, but it seems he omitted several details."

>>210729

"How much were you paid for it?"

"Five hundred thousand credits. Seven hundred and fifty if your brother was included."

That... that is a lot of money for kidnapping a mechanic and a guardian.

>>211085
What kind of people have those funds to throw around?

Anyway, ask him how he was to recieve his next set of instructions. Depending on how you might be able to get them and that way you could possibly figure out who hired him and what they wanted you and your brother for.

yes, knowing where and/or how the next set would be received would be great. and that it would be great if this guy could act.

>>211085
Alright how about we act like you're still captured, to find out what the further instructions are?

>>211087

In an economy supported by a MEC, the only people who have that kind of money would be criminals dealing in contraband, superstar IP producers/owners, service providers (from factory owners to slave traders), and governments (Commonwealth, Avandri , or other players).

I doubt that IP stars want you and your brother. Service providers might want you, but they could probably just hire you for whatever they needed, unless they are one of the illegal services like slavers. And if they're slavers, they're overpaying for you both, no offense.

Contraband dealers might want you, and your brother for leverage against you. You're intimately familiar with how to construct complex organic molecules in the MEC. You could make drugs quite cheaply and on the sly for them. And if you don't cooperate they could torture your brother.

I doubt the Avandri government would pay to kidnap you. You already work for them. Commonwealth agents may want you for your knowledge of the MEC, but your government allows them access to the MEC already. A resistance group that plans on overthrowing the current Avandri government could want you.

Criminals seem likely, rebel groups a little less so, outside governments even less so, and slavers or other illegal service providers the least likely. IP stars don't even rate.

How did you manage to utterly destroy him like that anyways, I thought you're not that good at fighting.
Maybe you should also ask your brother if he got an idea what's going on.
Ask the dude where the money is, you might as well make some profit from this situation.

>>211099

That's how fights usually go, actually. It isn't like a bad Hollywood film where fights drag on for minutes at a time. Usually, whoever gets in the first solid hit will win.

Vel was ready for a fight, and her arm let her get in a good crippling attack against Caril's hand early on. After that it was all about making sure he wasn't able to put up a fight later.

Caril doesn't have the money yet, it was P.O.D. unless he was working for a complete idiot.

Vel has a window of time, from now to when Caril was supposed to make contact, to disappear and get help. The government may be a good bet. Vel hasn't done anything illegal, though she may get a reprimand for using the MEC in the way she has been.

>>211102
The government might have wanted her and her brother for some experiment though. We can't really trust anyone at this time.

>>211102
>>211098
Uh, so do you work with Qrubb on the Quest? I mean I like speculations as much as anyone else, but you seem awfully sure about it

>>211105

No, I'm not working on this quest, but the story so far has followed logical rules and the characters have been portrayed as being capable of reasonable behavior (with individual exceptions like Vel's brother, and even he has his own consistent logic, though his mores are quite out of alignment with the fleet's). Anyway, since the story and setting follow logic, I feel confident in using logic to try to figure out the next best action.

Velesi 2010/07/22(Thu)16:53 No. 211118 ID: c33cc8
File 12798428378.jpg - (159.10KB , 1272x890 , 51.jpg )

>>211099
>>211102

Well, I'm not a good fighter, but I'm a better fighter than he expected. Also, he didn't even try to keep away from my replacement arm, so it sounds plausible he was given faulty information.

>>211087
>>211091
>>211094

"How were you supposed to receive those orders?"

"I was supposed to meet a representative of the employer in a certain warehouse two days from now."

>>211099

"Do you have the money yet?"

"Of course not. I was supposed to get half in the meeting at the warehouse and the other half when the job was finished."

"Eren, you have anything you want to ask him?"

"Yeah. Where's my gun?"

"It's, ah, in the closet over there."

>>211118
Tell your brother not to shot this guy yet. We still need him, and he could be a useful witness in a possibly upcoming trial.

And you should probably find some bandages for your brother, that wound on his chest looks rather nasty. If it's a stabwound he might need some immediate medical attention.

Ask the guy how the job was set up. Who gave him the information and stuff like that.

>>211118
We should probably get this guy some bandages or something to stop the bleeding. Same for your brother, really.

Sounds like you've got two days to organize an ambush. This guy could make good bait, assuming he doesn't get the jump on you after all, but I assume his employers have enough dirt on him that he couldn't come clean and rat them out in public, so he still might try to get the jump on you and do the job anyway. I say you put him in the cell and start making some phone calls. A doctor if you know of one who makes house calls... to unlabeled warehouse districts... eh. Maybe my idea could use some refinement.

>>211143

That's a great plan if Velesi is a criminal. But she's not. She's done nothing wrong at all.

Unless it would endanger her brother (since the body in the subway wasn't cleaned up), she should get the authorities involved. They have more resources to deal with this kind of thing.

>>211145

Her brother is a cop. And sorry, by "make a few phone calls" I meant to contact the authorities, and organize an ambush with them. But really, a broken wrist needs attending right away.

Velesi 2010/07/23(Fri)09:17 No. 211235 ID: c33cc8
File 127990185579.jpg - (99.80KB , 597x697 , 52.jpg )

>>211124

"You're not going to shoot him, are you?"

"I must confess I share your sister's concern, Mr. ma'Evrim. I was hoping we could forget our past grievances. It was only business, after all."

"Nah. I just wanted to get my gun back."

>>211125


"Do you have any bandages here?"

"I do, in fact. There's a first aid kit in the closet with the rifle."

>>211145
>>211166

"Hey, Eren. We should probably call the guard, eh?"

"Yeah, I'll get a couple of colleagues and we can set up an ambush at that warehouse-"

"Ah, I'm sorry to interrupt, but you should probably take a look at today's newspaper. It's in a drawer under the table."

...Why do I have a bad feeling about this?